Dissatisfaction with abortion policy highest since 2001
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People in America are more dissatisfied with the U.S.'s abortion policy than they have ever been in the 23 years, according to a new Gallup poll released Friday.
Driving the news: Democrats' dissatisfaction with laws have jumped after the fall of Roe last June and nationwide GOP-led efforts to enforce abortion restrictions. For over 20 years, Republicans were more likely than Democrats to express dissatisfaction, per Gallup.
By the numbers: A record-high 69% of U.S. adults are dissatisfied with abortion laws, per the Gallup poll — compared to the 26% who are satisfied with abortion policies, which is on par with last year's 24%.
- 46% of respondents are dissatisfied and say they want the laws to be made less strict — a 16-percentage-point jump since January 2022.
- 15% are dissatisfied and favor stricter laws while 8% are also dissatisfied but want the laws to stay the same.
- 50% of women are dissatisfied with U.S. abortion laws and support less strict policies, an 18-point jump and the highest on Gallup's record. Dissatisfied Catholics and Protestants are also increasingly backing less strict laws.
Worth noting: 74% of Democrats are dissatisfied and calling for less strict laws — a 31 percentage-point jump in one year. Independents who responded the same way saw a 13-point increase to 44%.
- The percentage of Republicans who are dissatisfied and urging for a loosening of policies remained statistically unchanged at 17%.
The big picture: Women in states with abortion bans are nearly three times more likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth or soon after giving birth.
- People have turned to abortion pills as a result, leading to a surge in demand after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
- Abortion rights are expected to play a major role in the 2024 election.
