A new study reveals that the gap between men and women regarding the moral acceptability of abortion has reached record levels, with the overall percentage of Americans who believe it is morally acceptable slightly decreasing.
The survey, which collected responses from 1,003 adults between May 1 and 18 by Gallup poll, shows significant shifts in public opinion.
According to the poll, “sixty-one percent of women characterized themselves as pro-choice in 2025 compared to just 41% of men,” marking the largest gender gap in Gallup’s 30-year history of conducting annual abortion surveys.
Last year, a majority of Americans (54%) believed that abortion was “morally acceptable,” but this year, only 49% held that view. Meanwhile, “the share of Americans who see abortion as ‘morally wrong’ has increased from 37% to 40%.”
The gender disparity is also reflected in views about the legality of abortion. Fifty-seven percent of women considered abortion morally acceptable in 2025, while only 40% of men said the same, resulting in a record gap of 17 points. The previous year's gap, measuring 15 points, involved 56% of women and 41% of men who believed abortion should be legal in most circumstances.
Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, the plurality of Americans have consistently viewed abortion as morally acceptable rather than wrong, with 49% supporting it compared to 40% who oppose.
The poll also shows a slight increase in the percentage of Americans identifying as pro-life— In 2025, 43% of Americans described themselves as pro-life compared to 41% last year. Conversely, those who consider themselves pro-choice slightly declined from 54% to 51%.
The survey also indicates that the percentage of Americans who believe that abortion should only be legal in a few circumstances or illegal in all cases rose from 45% in 2024 to 48% this year. Last year, a majority (51%) thought abortion should be legal under any or most circumstances, but this year, only “a plurality (49%) held that view.
Public opinion varies significantly along party lines. A large majority of Democrats (81%), a narrow majority of independents (51%) and a much smaller share of Republicans (20%) believe that abortion should be legal in either any or most circumstances.
Similarly, 78% of Democrats, 52% of independents and 20% of Republicans said they thought abortion was morally acceptable. Pro-choice identification was measured at 83% among Democrats, 58% among independents and a record low of 16% among Republicans.”
Since Dobbs, abortion bans have been enacted in nearly all circumstances in about two dozen states, with numerous states currently enforcing near-total bans.
In states like Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, abortion is illegal under almost all circumstances. Other states such as Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and South Carolina have bans at six weeks gestation, while Nebraska and North Carolina enforce 12-week bans, and Arizona has a 15-week ban.
Court challenges remain in states like North Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming where pro-life laws are tied up in litigation.
In 2022, 2023, and 2024, voters in Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, and Vermont approved ballot measures establishing a constitutional right to abortion.
Nevada voters also supported such an amendment, but it will require a second vote in 2026 before implementation. Additionally, New York voters approved an Equal Rights Amendment that includes abortion as a protected characteristic under the state constitution.
