Protestants (40%) are the most likely to never allow abortion assuming there are no health issues related to the pregnancy, followed by Catholics (26%), those of other faiths (25%) and the religiously unaffiliated (10%). Few Protestants (4%) or Catholics (3%) say they would allow abortion up to birth compared to 9% of those of other faiths and 22% of those with no religious affiliation.
Weekly churchgoers (52%) are more likely than those who attend less frequently (31%) or not at all (23%) to say abortion should not be legal at any point assuming there are no health issues.
When asked about specific circumstances related to the pregnancy, most Americans say abortion should be legal when the mom’s life is in danger (78%), the pregnancy involves the rape of someone under 18 years of age (75%), the pregnancy involves rape of someone over 18 (73%), the pregnancy is the result of incest (72%), the child will not survive long after birth (64%) or the child would be born with severe mental or physical defects (58%).
Americans are less supportive of abortions when a mother younger than 18 decides they just don’t want the child (46%), the mother or parents believe they aren’t capable of giving the child a good life (38%), raising the child would be a financial hardship to the mother or parents (37%), when a mother 18 or older decides they just don’t want the child (37%) or the mother wants a different gender (15%).
In each circumstance, those with a religious faith and those with evangelical beliefs are more likely than their counterparts to oppose abortion being legal. Those who attend church weekly are more likely than those who attend less frequently to oppose legal abortions in all but one situation.
Regardless of their personal opinions on abortion laws, 7 in 10 Americans (69%) say it is at least somewhat important to reduce the number of abortions in the U.S. in ways other than through the courts and legal system. Even among pro-abortion rights Americans, 54% believe reducing abortions is at least somewhat important.
“There are a lot of gradations in what abortion scenarios people think should be legal, but America is far from a majority supporting a legal right for an adult woman to have an abortion who just doesn’t want to have the child,” said McConnell. “The truth is Americans want fewer abortions taking place.”
When asked about potentially effective ways to reduce abortions, Americans are most likely to point to sex education, birth control and adoption. More than 2 in 5 say more birth control for minors (46%) and more and better sex education (44%) would be effective ways to reduce the number of abortions performed. Slightly fewer say promoting birth control to men (40%) or birth control for lower income individuals (39%). Close to a third point to promoting adoption as an option (36%), making adoption easier (36%), local organizations assisting mothers and children (34%) or more pregnancy counseling (33%).
Other ways Americans say are effective means to reduce the number of abortions include encouraging abstinence (27%), childcare for lower income families (27%), government help for low-income parents (22%), stronger legal limits on abortion (18%) and making it harder to find abortion providers (12%).
Opinions on Roe v. Wade
As Americans await a Supreme Court decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade, most say they’d prefer to keep the decision in place.
Two in 5 Americans (40%) say they completely support the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Another 1 in 5 (19%) mostly support it. One in 5 Americans (19%) completely oppose it, and 11% mostly oppose it. More than 1 in 10 (12%) say they aren’t sure or have no opinion.
Americans with no religious preference (76%), those without evangelical beliefs (66%), and Christians who don’t attend church (62%) or attend less regularly (60%) are all more likely to support Roe vs. Wade than not.
