Abortion Reporting: Utah (2023)

Utah’s 2022 and 2023 abortion reports were provided to Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI) upon request in December 2024, revealing that abortions in Utah increased from 2022 to 2023. This article will mainly cover 2023 statistics. The data published by the state does not include the total number of abortions obtained by Utah residents out of state or the number of self-managed abortions on women outside of the healthcare system. It is also unlikely that the report contains the number of mail-order abortion drugs obtained by Utah residents prescribed by licensed abortion providers in other states.  In a separate section, CLI will describe data provided by the Guttmacher Institute’s Monthly Abortion Provision Study that details the number of women who traveled to Utah to obtain abortions and their states of residence, as well as the number of abortions obtained by Utah 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 the United States.

Statistics and Changes in Utah Abortions, 2022-2023

The change in total abortions and drug-induced abortions reflects abortions performed on Utah residents, while the change in the abortion rate reflects all abortions occurring in the state. The report does not include information on Planned Parenthood’s Utah abortion market share.

Abortion Totals and Trends

Utah reported 4,080 abortions in 2023, up 7% from the previous year when 3,824 abortions occurred in Utah. Of the 4,080 total abortions performed in 2023, 3,819 were performed on residents, an increase of 6% from 2022. The 4,080 abortions performed in the state was the third highest total ever reported since the state started reporting and collecting this data in 1980. The 2023 total was only behind the 1990 total (4,159 abortions) and 1980 total (3,821). There were 2,125 drug-induced abortions performed on Utah residents in 2023, a decrease of 5% from 2022 (Fig. 1). CLI estimates that Utah’s 2023 abortion rate was 5.5 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44 (Fig. 2).¹ As of January 2025, 26 states have released 2023 abortion statistics with 14 showing an increase in abortions.

State Report Summary

In 2023, 94% of the abortions reported in Utah were performed on state residents, very similar to the percentage in 2022. Six percent were performed on women from other states, including 199 on women from Idaho, 24 from Nevada, 15 from Wyoming, seven from Texas, and 16 from other states including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, North and South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Most of the information in Utah’s abortion report is for abortions performed on Utah residents only.

Eleven percent of Utah resident abortions were performed on girls under the age of 20. This includes 2% on minors under the age of 18 and 9% on 18-and 19-year-olds. Thirty-three percent of Utah resident abortions were obtained by women ages 20 to 24. Twenty-six percent of the abortions were performed on women ages 25 to 29, and 26% on women in their thirties. Three percent of the abortions were performed on women ages 40 and older.

Forty-seven percent of Utah resident abortions were performed on non-Hispanic white women, and 5% on non-Hispanic black women. Five percent of the abortions performed on Utah residents were obtained by Asian or Pacific Islander women, while 1% were performed on Native American women and under 1% on women whose race was not reported or unknown. Thirty-seven percent of the abortions were performed on Hispanic women. CLI estimates that the non-Hispanic black abortion rate of 20.4 was over six times the non-Hispanic white abortion rate in 2023.

Thirty-five percent of the abortions performed on Utah women were on women who had graduated from high school or earned a GED, and 40% were performed on women with more than a high school education. Eleven percent of Utah abortions were performed on women who had not finished high school, and 15% were performed on women whose level of education was not reported. Seventy-five percent of the abortions were performed on unmarried women, and 24% were performed on married women, including women who were from separated from their spouses. Marital status was not reported for 1% of the abortions.

Over half (53%) of Utah abortions were performed on women with no previous live births. Twenty percent were on women with one live birth, and 27% were obtained by women with two or more prior births. Seventy-eight percent of the abortions were performed on women who had reported no prior abortions, while 17% were performed on women with one prior abortion and 6% on women with more than two previous abortions.

Fifty-two percent of the abortions were performed on women who said they were using contraception when they became pregnant, and under half (47%) were performed on women who were not using contraception. Contraception history was not reported for 20 abortions. Of the woman using contraception, 3% reported using a highly effective method (which Utah lists as an implant or IUD).

Forty-four percent of Utah resident abortions in 2023 were surgical. Fifty-six percent were drug-induced abortions. There were 13 intrauterine instillation abortions and one hysterectomy/hysterotomy abortion. Twelve of the total abortions in Utah resulted in complications.²

Under one percent of Utah abortions were performed earlier than five weeks of gestation. Forty percent were performed between five and six weeks, and 31% were reported between seven and eight weeks of gestation. Thirteen percent occurred between nine and 10 weeks, and 7% were reported between 11 and 12 weeks. Three percent were reported between 13 and 14 weeks of gestation. Four percent of Utah resident abortions were performed at 15 weeks of gestation or later. There were 32 abortions performed at 21 weeks or later, an increase of 28%.

The fact that the number of abortions performed at 21 weeks or later increased in 2023, while the state’s 18-week gestational law was in effect for the entirety of 2023 but not in 2022, was not explained in the 2023 abortion report provided by the state. The state’s 18-week law has life of the mother and physical health exceptions as well as an exception for “lethal” fetal anomalies. The report does note that eight of the 32 abortions performed at 21 weeks or later were performed for the life of the mother exception (one abortion at 21 weeks or later, seven total at any gestational ages) or fetal anomaly exception (seven abortions at 21 weeks or later, 20 total at any gestational ages). Twenty-four of the 32 abortions performed at 21 weeks or later were performed for reasons not stated. In 2023, three abortions were performed because the pregnant mother claimed that the child was exposed to drugs or radiation in utero, while 24 women cited rape as the reason.³ The reason was not stated for 7% of the abortions. Overall, 99% of Utah abortions were performed for some elective or unstated reason (socioeconomic, elective, contraceptive failure, or mental health) while less than 1% were performed for exceptions listed in the state’s 18-week law and less than 1% for drug/radiation and rape-related reasons.

March had the highest abortion total (375), while December had the lowest (286).

2023 Guttmacher Data⁴

In 2023, Guttmacher estimated that 4,480 abortions were performed in Utah while the state reported 4,080 occurred in the state. Guttmacher also estimated that of those 4,480 abortions, 210 were obtained by out-of-state residents (all Idaho residents) while the state estimated that 261 out-of-state residents obtained abortions in the state (with Idaho residents obtaining 199). The reason for the discrepancy in total abortions reported could be that Guttmacher’s count includes telehealth abortions performed in the state while it is unclear if Utah’s total does so. Furthermore, the state included counts of non-resident abortions if they were over five while Guttmacher’s estimates only include counts over 100. Lastly, Guttmacher estimated that in 2023, 370 Utah women obtained abortions out of state (250 in Nevada and 120 in Colorado).

Breakdown of Abortion Providers in Utah⁵

Planned Parenthood in Utah

Utah’s annual abortion reports do not report abortions by facility. However, typically Planned Parenthood Association of Utah releases an annual report covering services from July to June of the following year, with the 2023 report indicating that Planned Parenthood centers in Utah performed 2,123 abortions between July 2022 and June 2023. Utah does not report the total number of abortions occurring in the state each month, but averaging Utah’s annual abortion totals for 2022 and 2023 suggests that Planned Parenthood performs approximately 54% of abortions in the state, a large decrease from 2021 when Planned Parenthood performed 94% of the state’s abortions.

State Ranking

In 2024, CLI published a paper reevaluating abortion reporting across the country, with Utah ranking as tied for 17^th place. As previously recommended, Utah could improve its reports by incorporating information on all abortions occurring in the state, not just those performed on state residents. Utah could also require all healthcare providers, particularly emergency rooms and urgent care facilities, to report abortion-related complications they treat. Additionally, Utah could publicly release reports on a faster schedule.

1. National rates were calculated by Guttmacher Institute. Utah rates were calculated by CLI using the following formula: (total number of abortions performed in Utah ÷ 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 CDC WONDER. 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 2020-2022 are Vintage 2022 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 2023 were calculated using the Vintage 2022 postcensal estimates because 2023 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. CLI is reporting on this information as it appeared in Utah’s abortion report. However, it is important to note that the cases described as exceptions to the state’s abortion law are not the same as elective abortions. They are descriptions of medical care allowed under the state’s law to save the life or physical health of the mother. The state law differentiates these medical procedures from an elective abortion which, when performed, has the sole intent of causing the death of an unborn baby.
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 pro-life states under shield laws. This information is updated as of January 9, 2025.

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