A new report from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) shares views on abortion from all fifty states.
Based on 22,000 interviews, PRRI’s 2023 American Value Atlas finds most Americans (64%) support the legalization of abortion in most cases. On the other hand, 35% of Americans surveyed believe abortion should be illegal in most or all instances, while 9% say all abortions should be illegal.
Along political party lines, Republicans and Democrats are on opposing sides of the issue, with a 50-point difference between them. Among Democrats, 86% believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Only 36% of Republicans agree. On the contrary, 15% of Republicans believe abortion should be illegal regardless of the circumstance.
There is a slight gender gap between men and women. The report found that 62% of men and 66% of women are in favor of legalized abortion in all or most cases.
Regarding religious affiliation, most traditions believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases: Unitarian Universalists (93%), Jewish Americans (81%), Buddhists (79%), other Catholics of color (73%), Black Protestants (71%), white mainline/non-evangelical Protestants (68%), white Catholics (62%), Muslims (60%), Hispanic Catholics (57%), and other Protestants of color (52%). On the other hand, the majority of white evangelical Protestants (27%), Latter-day Saints (30%), Jehovah’s Witnesses (25%) and Hispanic Protestants (40%) do not support the legalization of abortion in all or most cases. Most Americans who are religiously unaffiliated (87%) say abortion should be legal in most or all cases.
“Throughout 2023, PRRI interviewed more than 22,000 adults as part of its American Values Atlas, allowing for the ability to provide a detailed profile of the demographic, religious, and political characteristics of Americans and their views on abortion,” the report said. “As in years past, this analysis measures Americans’ attitudes toward the legality of abortion, views on abortion pills, and how much abortion matters for voting. This year’s report also includes new analysis of the intersection between Christian nationalist views and abortion legality in each state.”
To read the full report, click here.
