A new national poll shows that fewer people support legal abortion in the United States. The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted a survey of 1,437 adults and found that 36% of respondents now believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. This stance is up from 29% in June 2024. Americans’ declining support for abortion was seen in different situations, including where someone simply does not want to be pregnant. Just 50% of respondents supported legal abortion in that scenario, down from about 60% earlier this year.

This shift marks the strongest pro-life shift recorded since the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in 2022. A separate Gallup poll released in June also found that 43% of Americans now identify as “pro-life,” and now only 51% of Americans call themselves “pro-choice.” Last year, those numbers were 41% and 54%. In June, 70% of Americans supported legal abortion in all or most cases; that number has since dropped to 64%. Support remains strong at 80% for abortion access in cases involving rape, incest, life endangerment, or severe fetal abnormalities.

Michael New of the Witherspoon Institute noted the change, saying, “Public backlash toward Dobbs is fading.” He pointed to recent pro-life wins in 2024 as a sign of momentum.