Over 70% say abortion would be difficult to get where they live: Poll

By the numbers: In states where abortion has been prohibited, 71% of people say it would be difficult to get an abortion, up from 50% who said the same in 2019.

• In states where abortion is restricted or is in a legal dispute, 56% of those surveyed said it would be difficult to obtain an abortion, compared to 41% who said so four years ago.
• In states where the procedure remains legal, there was only a small increase in those who said getting an abortion would be difficult, from 19% in 2019 to 22% in 2023.
• Nationwide, only 54% of Americans said it would be very or somewhat easy to obtain an abortion, down from the 64% who said so in 2019.

State of play: Nearly a year after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision ended the constitutional right to abortion, 80% of Americans say their views of the issue have not changed since the ruling.

• Abortion remains popular, with 62% of people surveyed saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
• What's more, 34% of Americans surveyed said it should be easier to get an abortion in the area where they live, up eight points from 2019.

Methodology: The Pew Research poll was conducted March 27 to April 2. The poll is based on a sample of 5,079 panelists, with a margin of error of ± 1.7 percentage points.