Record Number Of Americans Say Abortion ‘Morally Acceptable’

ACROSS AMERICA — Americans remain sharply divided on their views surrounding abortion; however, a record number now consider the procedure to be “morally acceptable,” according to a new Gallup poll.

At least 47 percent of those asked believe abortion is morally acceptable. The number is a three percent increase from last year and marks the highest percentage in two decades.

On the other hand, 46 percent of Americans believe abortion is morally wrong, according to poll results, down 1 percent from last year.

To conduct the poll, Gallup spoke with a random sample of 1,016 adults, age 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Following interviews, the company found that Democrats and political independents are more likely to say abortion is morally acceptable — 64 percent of Democrats, 51 percent of independents and 26 percent of Republicans.

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The poll also establishes a difference between believing abortion is morally acceptable or wrong and considering oneself to be “pro-choice” or “pro-life.” Still, a partisan divide exists when it comes to declaring whether a person is pro- or anti-abortion.

In this case, 70 percent of Democrats consider themselves to be pro-abortion while most Republicans — about 74 percent — say they are against abortion. Only a slim majority of independents are pro-abortion.

Since 1998, an average 47 percent of adults have considered themselves pro-abortion while 46 percent say they are anti-abortion.

Americans also remain much more willing to say that abortion should be legal “only under certain circumstances.” About 48 percent believe this compared to 32 percent who believe it should be legal under any circumstances and 19 percent who believe it should be illegal in all circumstances.

Americans' preferences for the legality of abortion diverge among particular groups, including by political party, gender, age, education and political ideology.

Liberals are the only one of these with majority-level support for legal abortions under any circumstances, Gallup writes. A majority of Democrats, women, young adults, college graduates and moderates support abortions in most or all circumstances.