A Majority of Americans Say Abortion Should Be Legal in All or Most Cases

A Majority of Americans Say Abortion Should Be Legal in All or Most Cases
Americans see nuance on the issue, with most avoiding an absolutist position

3 June 2019

Washington, DC, June 3, 2019 – With the recent passage of state laws restricting abortion in nine states*, Ipsos along with USA Today conducted a public opinion survey to gather how the American public currently views this divisive issue. Our May 31-June 1, 2019 study finds that a clear majority of Americans (55%) say that abortion should be legal in most or all cases, that facilities that provide abortion services should be allowed to remain in operation (73%), and that the Supreme Court should maintain the legal right to abortion (80%). However, we also find that Americans see nuance on the issue with most Americans avoiding an absolutist position on abortion.

Politically, this survey underlines that opposition to abortion is most concentrated in the Republican party, where a clear majority (59%) believe it should be illegal. Republicans also are likely to believe the new focus on abortion is good for the country. However, when asked if the abortion debate will impact their likelihood to vote in 2020, more Democrats than Republicans say it is increasing their likelihood, indicating the current fight may be energizing the Democratic base.

Continued: https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/majority-of-Americans-support-abortion