Abortion clinics in US slightly declined in 2024 as 14 states are 'abortion free': report
The number of abortion clinics operating in the United States declined slightly over the past year, with 14 states being "free" of such facilities, according to a report by a pro-life activist organization.
Operation Rescue released its annual report tracking the number of abortion clinics in the U.S. on Tuesday, noting that 29 clinics closed down in 2024, while another 20 "no longer see patients in person."
When compared with the 46 abortion clinics that were opened this year, Operation Rescue recorded that there was a total of 667 clinics in operation in 2024, contrasted with 670 in 2023.
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"This trend of abortion clinics abandoning the concept of meeting with patients in person emphasizes the difficulty abortion facilities are experiencing securing and retaining abortionists," stated the pro-life group.
"It also draws attention to the allure of mail-order chemical abortion pills for profit-focused abortion centers, made more appealing by easier access and decreased operational costs."
According to the report, 14 states fit the definition of "abortion free," defined as being a state that legally protects unborn life from conception to birth, "albeit with rare exceptions and always for the life of the mother."
Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.
While not placed in the "abortion free" category, Florida, Georgia, Iowa and South Carolina were identified as states that had laws that protected unborn life beginning when a heartbeat could be detected, which is normally around six weeks into a pregnancy.
The measures came into place following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which concluded that abortion is not a constitutional right, overturning the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade.
"There is no doubt that abortion facilities are struggling to survive in this post-Roe environment," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman in a statement.
"[As] we conduct our extensive investigations, we continue to see evidence that abortion clinics are facing challenges hiring and keeping abortionists."
Even before Roe was overturned, the number of abortion facilities operating in the country has been in considerable decline, going from 2,176 clinics in 1991 to 720 in 2021.
