Abortion Reporting: Vermont (2023)

Vermont’s 2023 abortion statistics were published online as part of the state’s full vital statistics report in April 2025. The report is available on the Vermont Department of Health website, and shows that Vermont abortions decreased in 2023. The data published by the state does not include the total number of abortions obtained by Vermont 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 total number of mail-order abortion drugs obtained by Vermont residents prescribed by licensed abortion providers in other states. In a separate section, Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI) will describe data provided by the Guttmacher Institute’s Monthly Abortion Provision Study that details the total number of abortions occurring in the state in 2023 as estimated by Guttmacher’s sample survey and mathematical models. 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.

Vermont’s statute code defines abortion as “any medical treatment intended to induce the termination of, or to terminate, a clinically diagnosable pregnancy except for the purpose of producing a live birth.”

In Vermont, abortion is legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

Statistics and Changes in Vermont Abortions, 2022-2023

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

Abortion Totals and Trends

There were 1,015 abortions reported in 2023, a decrease of 8% from the prior year. Drug-induced abortions decreased by 2%, from 759 in 2022 to 745 in 2023 (Fig. 1). CLI estimates that Vermont’s abortion rate decreased by 9% to 8.4 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44 (Fig. 2).¹ Of the 32 states that have reported abortion statistics for 2023, 14 (including Vermont) have reported abortions decreasing.

State Report Summary

In 2023, 83% of the abortions reported in Vermont were performed on state residents, while 17% were performed on nonresident women, including 10% on women from New Hampshire. The number of abortions performed on nonresident women decreased by 22% from 2022 to 2023. Nine percent of Vermont abortions were performed on girls aged 19 or younger (with 3% on girls under the age of 18). Twenty-four percent were performed on women ages 20 to 24 and 26% on women ages 25 to 29. Thirty-seven percent of abortions were performed on women ages 30 to 39. Four percent were performed on women who were 40 or older.

In 2023, the state did not report the total number of abortions by the woman’s number of living children. Seventeen percent of the abortions were performed on women who were either married or separated. Seventy-six percent were obtained by unmarried women, and 7% by women of unknown marital status.

Thirty-five percent of Vermont abortions were performed on women who had a high school diploma as their highest level of education. Forty-six percent of abortions were obtained by women who had attended college, with 21% by women with one to three years of college and 26% by women with four of more years. Six percent were performed on women with less than a high school education. Education was not reported for 13% of abortions.

Seventy-four percent of Vermont abortions were performed before nine weeks of gestation. Thirteen percent were performed between nine and 10 weeks, 4% between 11 and 12 weeks, and another 4% each from 13 to 15 weeks and from 16 to 20 weeks of gestation. Fourteen abortions, 1.4% of the total, were performed at 21 weeks of gestation or later. Most Vermont abortions, 74%, were drug-induced. Twenty-one percent were suction curettage procedures, and 6% were performed using a different procedure.

Eighty-nine percent of the abortions occurred in abortion clinics, while 8% occurred in hospitals, and 3% in doctors’ offices.

Breakdown of Abortion Providers in Vermont²

2023 Guttmacher Data³

Guttmacher estimated that 1,490 abortions occurred in Vermont in 2023, a total that is 47% higher than that reported by the state. In data published in February 2025 on 2023 abortions, Guttmacher noted that 12% of the 1,490 abortions that occurred in the state were provided via the mail by online-only abortion centers or organizations.⁴ It is unclear from Guttmacher’s data how many online-only centers the 12% figure entails, but from the data in the table above, one can see that at least 15 organizations/companies ship abortion drugs into the state of Vermont. Lastly, Guttmacher reported that 230 New Hampshire women obtained abortions in Vermont in 2023, a total that is 135% higher than the total reported by the state (98 abortions).

State Ranking

In 2024, CLI published a paper reevaluating abortion reporting across the country, with Vermont ranked at 34^th best. To improve its reporting, Vermont could state the method of payment for each abortion since the state uses taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions for Medicaid-eligible women. Vermont could also report whether any abortions resulted in complications and the reasons why women had an abortion.

1. National rates were calculated by Guttmacher Institute. Vermont rates were calculated by CLI using the following formula: (total number of abortions performed in Vermont ÷ 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 using 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 2020-2023 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.
2. 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 June 2, 2025.
3. The Guttmacher Institute notes that their monthly state abortion totals are estimates and that each state’s estimate is within a range of uncertainty. Guttmacher also notes that their estimates do not reflect abortions obtained by women in pro-life states under shield laws in effect in pro-abortion states. This information is updated as of June 2, 2025.
4. This information is in the document titled “State_Medication_Abortion_Online_Only_Provision,” which can be found at this link: https://osf.io/k4x7t/files/osfstorage.

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