Gallup: 61 Percent Say All or Most Abortions Should Be Illegal

Well at least 61 out of 100 Americans still have a semblance of conscience.

Sixty-one percent of American adults—including some who describe themselves as “pro-choice”—told Gallup in a survey conducted May 5-8 that abortion should be illegal in all or most circumstances.

The Gallup survey, published today, asked 1,018 American adults whether they considered themselves “pro-choice” or “pro-life” on abortion. It also asked: “Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances, or illegal in all circumstances?”

For those who answered that abortion should be “legal only under certain circumstances,” Gallup asked the follow-up question: “Do you think abortion should be legal in most circumstances or only in a few circumstances?”

Forty-nine percent told Gallup they were pro-choice and 45 percent said they were pro-life, marking the first time since May 2008 that the percentage of Americans describing themselves to Gallup as pro-choice exceeded the percentage describing themselves as pro-life.