In the United States, national abortion reports are compiled and published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). States voluntarily aggregate and share their data to be included in the CDC’s annual reports. Some states, including California, Maryland, and New Hampshire, have chosen not to participate. Consequently, the CDC reports are incomplete. National reporting is also out-of-date, with the most recent national abortion surveillance report containing data from 2015. To provide a more complete and current view of abortion in the United States, the Charlotte Lozier Institute reviews state-level reporting as it becomes available and publishes state-specific abortion reporting summaries.

Key publications outlining the problems with the national abortion reporting system and summarizing national trends are available below.

Abortion in the United States 2017: Preliminary Review and a Call for Reform

by Tessa Longbons, American Reports Series, Issue 14, May 2019

Abortion Reporting: Overview March 2018

by Tessa Longbons, April 2018

Abortion Reporting: Toward a Better National Standard

by Charles A. Donovan and Rebecca Gonzales, American Reports Series, Issue 12, Aug 2016

Abortion Reporting Laws: Tears in the Fabric

by Charles A. Donovan and Nora Sullivan, American Reports Series, Issue 3, Dec 2012