Abortion Reporting: Nebraska (2024)

Nebraska’s 2024 abortion report was published in June 2025 on the electronic dashboard of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. The data shows that abortions increased in the Cornhusker state. Not included in the state’s data are the total number of abortions obtained by Nebraska residents out of state or the number of self-managed abortions performed by women outside of the healthcare system. It is also unlikely that the report contains the total number of mail-order abortion drugs obtained by Nebraska residents prescribed by licensed abortion providers in other states (under shield laws), as telehealth abortions are prohibited under Nebraska law. In a separate section, Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI) will describe data provided by the Guttmacher Institute’s Monthly Abortion Provision Study that details the number of abortions obtained by Nebraska women in other states. Guttmacher’s abortion estimates include the number of abortions obtained at brick-and-mortar facilities and those provided via telehealth and virtual providers in states where such abortions are still legal. CLI will also describe data from the Society of Family Planning’s #WeCount project that details the number of abortion drugs mailed to Nebraska women under other states’ shield laws.

Nebraska’s statute code defines abortion as “the prescription or use of any instrument, device, medicine, drug, or substance to or upon a woman known to be pregnant with the specific intent of terminating the life of her preborn child” (§71-6914). According to the same statute code, abortion is not the removal of an ectopic pregnancy or already deceased unborn child, nor is it an act done with the intention to save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child.

In Nebraska, abortion is prohibited after 11 weeks of gestation except in the cases of a medical emergency or a pregnancy resulting from sexual assault or incest (§71-6915).

Statistics and Changes in Nebraska Abortions, 2023-2024

The report does not include information on Planned Parenthood’s Nebraska abortion market share.

Abortion Totals and Trends

In 2024, there were 2,501 abortions reported in Nebraska, an increase of 8% from 2,325 reported the previous year. Drug-induced abortions increased by 6% from 1,907 in 2023 to 2,024 in 2024, making up 81% of all abortions in the state (Fig. 1). Nebraska’s abortion rate increased by 8% to 6.5 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age, according to CLI (Fig. 2).¹ As of July 2025, nine states have released 2024 abortion statistics, and four states reported that abortions increased from 2023.

State Report Summary

In 2024, 82% of the abortions reported in Nebraska were performed on state residents, while 18% were performed on women from other states, a slightly lower percentage than that of 2023. The biggest percentage (14%) of abortions performed on women from other states were performed on Iowa women. Forty-nine abortions were performed on South Dakota women, 13 were performed on Missouri women, and 10 on Texas women. A handful of abortions were performed on Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma women. One abortion each was performed on women from Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The slight decrease in reported non-resident abortions performed in Nebraska from 2023 to 2024 could be due to the fact that the state’s 12-week law was in effect for the entirety of 2024 versus partially in effect (since May) in 2023.

Eleven percent of Nebraska abortions were performed on girls younger than 20, and 58% were obtained by women in their twenties. Twenty-eight percent of Nebraska abortions were performed on women in their thirties, and 3% on women ages 40 and older.

In 2024, 49% of the abortions were performed on non-Hispanic white women, and 19% on non-Hispanic black women. One percent were performed on non-Hispanic American Indian women, and 3% on non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander women. Sixteen abortions were performed on non-Hispanic, multi-racial women. Twenty-five percent were performed on Hispanic women while race was not reported for 2% of the abortions. Nebraska’s black abortion rate of 22 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age was five times higher than the white abortion rate of 4.3.

A majority of abortions were performed on women whose highest level of education was a high-school diploma (46%). Thirty percent of abortions were performed on women who had attended some college while 14% were performed on women with a college degree. Nine percent of abortions were obtained by women who had not graduated high school, while educational status was not reported for 2% of the abortions.

Sixty-eight percent of the abortions were performed on women who had been pregnant before. Thirty-three percent of the abortions were performed on women who had previously had an abortion, with 22% on women with one prior abortion and 11% on women with more than one. Forty-four percent of women who obtained abortions in Nebraska had zero previous live births, while 23% had one previous live birth. Thirty-three percent had two or more previous live births. Eighty-five percent of the abortions were performed on unmarried women, and 13% on married or separated women. Marital status was not reported for one percent of the abortions.

One dilation and evacuation (dismemberment) abortion and zero dilation and extraction abortions (the procedure used in partial-birth abortion) occurred in 2024. The majority of abortions reported in Nebraska (81%) were drug-induced. Nineteen percent of the abortions were conducted via suction curettage. One sharp curettage abortion was performed.

In 2024, 35% percent of the state’s reported abortions occurred at six weeks of gestation or less. Thirty-eight percent were performed on women between seven and eight weeks of gestation, while 21% were performed between nine and 10 weeks of gestation. Six percent of the state’s reported abortions were performed between 11 and 12 weeks of gestation, and one abortion was performed between 13 and 15 weeks. To see how the number of abortions performed by gestational week changed from 2023 to 2024, see the table below:

The postfertilization age (PFA) was determined for all 2,501 abortions. For 28% of the abortions, the PFA was determined using an abdominal ultrasound, while a general ultrasound was used in 72% of the abortions.

The 2024 Nebraska report states that 10 doctors performed abortions in the state that year.

Women undergoing abortions in Nebraska are asked to share their reasons for seeking abortion, and each woman may provide multiple reasons. In 2024, 22% of the women declined to give an answer. Ten percent of all women getting abortions were seeking an abortion due to contraceptive failure, and 6% did not use contraception. Forty-two percent of abortions were performed for socioeconomic reasons and 12% were performed due to the woman’s mental health. Six percent were performed due to physical health concerns. Eight abortions were performed to preserve the life of the mother, 27 due to sexual assault, and six because of the presence of a fetal anomaly. Fifteen abortions occurred because of an unspecified “emergency situation.”

Sixty-three percent of the unborn babies killed by abortion were less than 60 millimeters long (approximately 2.4 inches), while 1% were 60 millimeters or longer. Thirty-seven percent of the babies could not be measured. Nineteen percent of the babies weighed less than 100 grams, and 0.3% weighed 100 grams or more. Eighty-one percent could not be measured.

In 2024, parental consent for abortion was obtained for 80 minors and not obtained for two. An exception to the parental consent requirement was made in two cases. There were 15 cases in which Nebraska’s informed consent requirements were waived due to an unspecified emergency.

There were 15 abortion-related complications reported in 2024 while 12 were reported in 2023.² There were two infections, two cases of hemorrhage, seven cases of retained products of conception, and four other unspecified complications.

Abortions Performed by County of Occurrence

In 2024, Nebraska abortions occurred in three counties: Douglas County, where a Planned Parenthood is located; Lancaster County, where the other abortion-performing Planned Parenthood location was located; and Sarpy County, where an abortion center once owned by the deceased late-term abortion provider, Leroy Carhart, is located and remains open. Following is a breakdown of the number of abortions in Nebraska by county.

After February 2024, the Lincoln, Nebraska Planned Parenthood location, in Lancaster County, stopped performing abortions.

Abortion Provider Breakdown in Nebraska (As of July 2025):³

Guttmacher Data⁴

In 2024, Guttmacher estimated that 3,510 abortions occurred in Nebraska, while the state reported 2,501 occurred in the state (a total 40% lower than Guttmacher’s estimate). Guttmacher’s 2024 travel and residence data reported that 3,120 Nebraska residents and 320 nonresidents (Iowa women) obtained abortions (with the residence of 70 women being unknown) in Nebraska, while the state reported 2,054 and 447 abortions obtained by residents and nonresidents in Nebraska, respectively. Additionally, Guttmacher estimated that 280 Nebraska women traveled out of state to obtain an abortion (110 to Colorado and 170 to Kansas).⁵

A possible explanation for the discrepancy between the state’s reported total (2,501 abortions) and Guttmacher’s reported total (3,510) of abortions occurring in the state in 2024 is that the state did not capture abortion drugs mailed into the state. Under state law, telehealth abortions (abortion drugs being sent through the mail within the state or from outside of the state) are illegal (§28-335). However, Guttmacher tracks the number of drugs sent into Nebraska from states where abortionists are legally exempted under their state’s shield law and includes these abortions in its total estimate. This means that abortionists in states with such laws can ship abortion drugs into pro-life states.

If one looks at the data provided by another pro-abortion initiative, the Society for Family Planning’s #WeCount project, 2,690 in-person abortions were performed in Nebraska. This figure is relatively similar to the abortion total reported by the state. However, #WeCount also reports that 940 Nebraska women were mailed abortion drugs from abortionists in shielding states.⁶ When one adds the in-person and mail-order abortion totals together (3,630), the figure is close to the figure reported by Guttmacher (3,520). Guttmacher’s total also includes abortions performed under shield laws in Nebraska but doesn’t delineate that data by mode of provision (in-person or via shield law/telehealth).

In conclusion, it is likely that the 2,501-figure reported by the state only includes those abortions performed in person and reported to the state by the performing brick-and-mortar facilities.

State Ranking

In CLI’s updated 2024 evaluation of abortion reporting across the country, Nebraska’s reporting was ranked as tied for 4^th best. To enhance its abortion reporting, Nebraska could improve its abortion complication data collection and reporting as well as specify if drug-induced abortions were performed in office or via the mail. Furthermore, the state could report the number of abortions by facility.

1. National rates were calculated by the Guttmacher Institute. Nebraska rates were calculated by CLI using the following formula: (total number of abortions performed in Nebraska ÷ number of resident women ages 15-44 [based on most recent population estimates]) x 1,000. Rates may differ slightly from previous CLI articles due to revised population estimates. Population estimates were obtained from the CDC WONDER database. Estimates for 2005-2009 are intercensal estimates of the July 1 resident population. Estimates for 2010-2019 are Vintage 2020 postcensal estimates of the July 1 resident population. Estimates for 2020-2024 are Vintage 2023 postcensal estimates of the July 1 resident population. Estimates were produced by the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. Rates for 2024 were calculated using the Vintage 2023 postcensal estimates because 2024 population estimates have not yet been released by the CDC.
2. Statistics on abortion complications reported here represent a minimal number of deaths and complications as this data is collected in a non-systematic and non-verifiable way. As such, this data cannot be used to calculate either an accurate abortion mortality rate or an accurate abortion complication rate for the state.
3. Provider totals do not include hospitals or physician offices not listed in databases that compile abortion provider locations in different states, but do include Planned Parenthood locations, independent abortion centers, and hospitals/doctor’s offices included in databases like Abortion Finder and Ineedana. This information is updated as of July 2, 2025.
4. The Guttmacher Institute notes that their monthly abortion totals by states are estimates and that each state’s estimate is within a range of uncertainty. Guttmacher also notes that their estimates do not reflect self-managed abortions or those obtained by women in states with total abortion bans under shield laws. This information is updated as of July 2, 2025.

5. Guttmacher’s travel and residence data can be found here (State_Abortion_Travel_2024.csv).
6. #WeCount’s data can be found here by downloading the “Report data tables [.xlsx]” document. The #WeCount report specifies that the numbers included in their tables for abortions performed under shield laws only represent the number of women whom abortion drugs were sent to, not the number of drug-induced abortions that were a result of the mailed drugs. However, because #WeCount’s data is the only source of data that delineates the number of abortions by mode of provision in-person, telehealth/mail order, and/or abortion drugs obtained under shield laws, their data is the best available.

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