December 27, 2021

Data Reported to CDC Shows Disproportionate Abortion Rates for Minorities

While it has long been the case that abortion is more common among low-income and minority groups, new data released by the CDC suggests that more total abortions occur among black women than white women.

This should be shocking due to the population difference between racial groups in the US. The US Census Bureau estimates that 60% is "white alone, not of Hispanic or Latino." The estimated percentage of Americans identified as "black or African American alone" is 13.4%. Despite this, the CDC's report states that in 2019, black women accounted for 38.4% of reported abortions. Abortions among white women accounted for just 33.4%.

The CDC report suggests that the raw number of abortions among black women increased by over 14% from 2018 to 2019.

Live Action estimated the total abortions in 2019 based on the percentages provided by the CDC:
  • White women: (33.4%) 210,386 estimated abortions
  • Black women: (38.4%) 241,880 estimated abortions
  • Hispanic women: (21.0%) 132,279 estimated abortions
  • Non-Hispanic women in the other race category: (7.2%) 45,353 estimated abortions