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Legality of Abortion, 2018-2019 Demographic Tables
Politics

Legality of Abortion, 2018-2019 Demographic Tables

Legality of Abortion, 2018-2019 Demographic Tables

The following tables provide the demographic breakdown of Americans' broad views about the legality of abortion, based on Gallup's May 2018 and 2019 Values and Beliefs polls.

  • The first table for each year displays each group's views on whether abortion should be "legal under any circumstances," "legal only under certain circumstances" or "illegal in all circumstances."
  • The second table for each year details these views further according to a follow-up question asked of those who say abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances. This specifies whether they think abortion should be legal "in most circumstances" or "only in a few circumstances."
Americans' Self-Identified Position on Abortion, 2019
Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances or illegal in all circumstances?
Legal under any Legal under certain Illegal in all No opinion Number of interviews
% % % % n
Gender
Men 25 56 18 1 529
Women 24 50 24 2 480
Age I
18 to 29 36 47 16 1 144
30 to 49 24 54 21 1 263
50 to 64 22 54 23 1 279
65 and older 18 55 23 4 302
Age II
18 to 34 32 52 15 1 206
35 to 54 23 54 22 1 287
55 and older 21 52 24 2 495
Education I
No college 20 48 29 2 235
Some college 21 58 20 1 339
College graduate only 32 54 13 1 255
Postgraduate 36 52 10 2 176
Education II
Total college graduate 33 53 12 2 431
Not college graduate 20 52 25 2 574
Yearly household income
Less than $40,000 18 50 30 2 248
$40,000 to $99,999 26 54 19 2 401
$100,000 or more 33 54 12 1 276
Race/Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic white 25 54 19 2 728
Total Hispanic or nonwhite 24 50 25 1 260
Ideology
Conservative 11 53 35 2 391
Moderate 22 61 16 2 341
Liberal 52 39 8 1 252
Party ID
Republican 12 55 32 1 340
Independent 24 56 18 2 352
Democrat 39 45 14 2 299
Leaned party ID
Republican/Lean Republican 13 60 26 1 484
Democrat/Lean Democratic 38 45 15 2 437
Attend religious services
Weekly 12 47 39 2 260
Nearly weekly/Monthly 14 54 30 1 256
Seldom/Never 36 55 8 2 488
Region
East 30 55 13 1 212
Midwest 25 52 22 2 212
South 19 53 25 2 345
West 28 50 21 1 240
Gallup, May 1-12, 2019

Americans' Views on the Legality of Abortion, With Middle Position Specified, 2019
Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances or illegal in all circumstances? (Asked of those who say abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances) Do you think abortion should be legal in most circumstances or only in a few circumstances?
Legal under any Legal in most Legal in only a few Illegal in all Legal-unspecified/No opinion Number of interviews
% % % % % n
Gender
Men 25 16 40 18 1 529
Women 24 11 38 24 4 480
Age I
18 to 29 36 16 31 17 1 144
30 to 49 24 12 41 21 1 263
50 to 64 22 12 41 23 2 279
65 and older 18 14 40 23 5 302
Age II
18 to 34 32 17 35 15 1 206
35 to 54 23 12 42 22 1 287
55 and older 21 12 39 24 4 495
Education I
Postgraduate 36 18 33 10 3 176
College graduate only 32 18 34 13 3 255
Some college 21 15 42 20 2 339
No college 20 7 41 29 2 235
Education II
Total college graduate 33 18 34 12 4 431
Not college graduate 20 11 41 25 2 574
Yearly household income
$100,000 or more 33 16 36 12 2 276
$40,000 to $99,999 26 15 39 19 2 401
Less than $40,000 18 10 40 30 2 248
Race/Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic white 25 14 39 19 3 728
Total Hispanic or nonwhite 24 11 38 25 1 260
Ideology
Conservative 11 6 46 35 2 391
Moderate 22 17 42 16 3 341
Liberal 52 18 21 8 2 252
Party ID
Republican 12 8 47 32 2 340
Independent 24 16 39 18 3 352
Democrat 39 15 29 14 3 299
Leaned party ID
Republican/Lean Republican 13 10 49 26 2 484
Democrat/Lean Democratic 38 16 28 15 3 437
Attend religious services
Weekly 12 5 42 39 2 260
Nearly weekly/Monthly 14 13 40 30 3 256
Seldom/Never 36 17 37 8 3 488
Region
East 30 14 41 13 2 212
Midwest 25 11 39 22 2 212
South 19 12 41 25 3 345
West 28 16 33 21 3 240
Gallup, May 1-12, 2019

Americans' Self-Identified Position on Abortion, 2018
Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances or illegal in all circumstances?
Legal under any Legal only under certain Illegal in all No opinion Number of interviews
% % % % n
U.S. adults 29 50 18 2 1,024
Gender
Men 27 54 17 1 552
Women 31 46 20 3 472
Age I
18 to 29 37 42 19 2 166
30 to 49 30 50 18 1 275
50 to 64 25 52 19 3 264
65 and older 25 55 19 2 307
Age II
18 to 34 36 43 20 1 235
35 to 54 28 53 17 1 284
55 and older 25 53 19 3 493
Education I
Postgraduate 38 53 7 2 206
College graduate only 40 45 13 2 238
Some college 27 56 16 1 315
No college 23 47 27 3 256
Education II
Total college graduate 39 48 11 2 444
Not college graduate 25 51 22 2 571
Yearly household income
$75,000 or more 34 53 11 2 410
$30,000 to $74,999 29 50 19 1 364
Less than $30,000 24 46 30 0 153
Race/Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic white 29 54 16 1 753
Total Hispanic/Nonwhite 31 42 24 3 244
Ideology
Conservative 14 57 28 2 383
Moderate 31 52 16 1 353
Liberal 51 38 10 1 257
Party ID
Republican 11 61 27 1 303
Independent 30 50 18 3 423
Democrat 46 40 11 2 282
Leaned party ID
Republican/Lean Republican 14 61 25 1 475
Democrat/Lean Democratic 44 43 11 2 444
Religion
Protestant/Christian 25 51 22 3 531
Catholic 22 53 22 3 200
None/Atheist/Agnostic 47 48 5 * 165
Attend religious services
Weekly 20 37 40 3 222
Nearly weekly/Monthly 21 55 22 2 284
Seldom/Never 37 53 9 1 512
Region
East 37 47 12 4 193
Midwest 26 54 17 3 213
South 22 49 28 1 362
West 36 51 12 1 256
* Less than 0.5%
Gallup, May 1-10, 2018

Americans' Views on the Legality of Abortion, With Middle Position Specified, 2018
Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances or illegal in all circumstances? (Asked of those who say abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances) Do you think abortion should be legal in most circumstances or only in a few circumstances?
Legal under any Legal in most Legal in only a few Illegal in all Legal-unspecified/No opinion Number of interviews
% % % % % n
U.S. adults 29 14 35 18 3 1024
Gender
Men 27 15 39 17 2 552
Women 31 14 32 20 3 472
Age I
18 to 29 37 13 29 19 2 166
30 to 49 30 16 33 18 2 275
50 to 64 25 12 39 19 3 264
65 and older 25 14 41 19 3 307
Age II
18 to 34 36 13 29 20 1 235
35 to 54 28 15 38 17 2 284
55 and older 25 14 38 19 3 493
Education I
Postgraduate 38 26 26 7 3 206
College graduate only 40 13 32 13 2 238
Some college 27 14 42 16 2 315
No college 23 11 36 27 3 256
Education II
Total college graduate 39 19 29 11 3 444
Not college graduate 27 15 38 18 3 571
Yearly household income
$75,000 or more 34 19 34 11 3 410
$30,000 to $74,999 29 15 35 19 1 364
Less than $30,000 24 5 40 30 1 153
Race/Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic white 29 16 38 16 2 753
Total Hispanic/Nonwhite 31 11 30 24 4 244
Ideology
Conservative 14 8 48 28 2 383
Moderate 31 16 34 16 2 353
Liberal 51 20 17 10 1 257
Party ID
Republican 11 8 53 27 1 303
Independent 30 15 33 18 4 417
Democrat 46 18 22 11 2 282
Leaned Party ID
Republican/Lean Republican 14 12 48 25 2 475
Democrat/Lean Democratic 44 18 24 11 2 444
Religion
Protestant/Christian 25 10 40 22 4 531
Catholic 22 16 37 22 3 200
None/Atheist/Agnostic 47 21 26 5 1 165
Attend religious services
Weekly 20 4 33 40 3 222
Nearly weekly/Monthly 21 12 41 22 3 284
Seldom/Never 37 19 33 9 1 512
Region
East 37 17 29 12 5 193
Midwest 26 11 43 17 4 213
South 22 10 38 28 1 362
West 36 21 29 12 1 256
Gallup, May 1-10, 2018

Gallup measures Americans' attitudes on abortion each May as part of its Values and Beliefs poll -- one of 12 surveys that make up the Gallup Poll Social Series.

The full trend on this question among U.S. adults is available on the Gallup Abortion A-Z page.

Explore Gallup's curated archive of data and analysis on abortion on the Abortion Topics page.


Gallup https://news.gallup.com/poll/244097/legality-abortion-2018-demographic-tables.aspx
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