Abortion rate falls, but 860,000 babies still killed

In 2017, the number of babies who died from abortion hit its lowest since the practice was legalized in 1973. Though the abortion rate has decreased across the country, the total still reached more than 860,000, according to a report released Wednesday by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute. The number of abortions peaked in 1990 at 1.6 million.

Did abortions decrease in every state? According to the report, the abortion rate increased in five states and the District of Columbia between 2011 and 2017. The District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York registered the most abortions, while the fewest babies were killed in Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The number of abortion facilities also dropped during that time, from 839 to 808.

Dig deeper: Read Harvest Prude’s report in Vitals about an effort in Congress to protect abortion survivors.