Pro-life states saw increase in births after overturn of Roe: study

(LifeSiteNews) — According to a new study from Economic Inquiry, states that have established a total abortion ban since the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade have seen a noticeable spike in birthrates. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Kansas, was done using monthly state data from 2017-2023.

The study found that after the Dobbs decision, states that implemented total abortion bans experienced a 1.57 percent monthly increase in birth rates. This increase was observed across all demographic and education groups. The rise in births also coincided with increased participation in the government-funded Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

“The total abortion bans that were instituted after the Dobbs decision had a small but meaningful impact on monthly birth rates and a downstream effect on WIC participation,” reads the study.

“The increase in births to mothers with a bachelor’s degree or higher indicates that the post-Dobbs total abortion bans also affected mothers with more resources, underscoring the large impact of these bans.”

The study estimates that this increase corresponds to approximately 1,210 additional births per month, or 14,519 additional births in 2023.

In March 2025, a similar study was conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which found that states that have enacted abortion bans saw a 2.8 percent increase in anticipated births.

“We find that bans alone increase births, but their total impact depends on geographic barriers to access,” read the study.

The study follows recent CDC data showing that overall American birth rates have declined since 2024.

According to the CDC, there were approximately 24,000 fewer abortions in the United States than the previous year. Some observers attribute this decline to broader social changes, including declining levels of Christian affiliation and lower marriage rates.

The most recent Economic Inquiry study suggests that increased access to contraceptive medications may contribute to the continued decline in population growth, even as birth rates have risen in states that implemented abortion bans.

“The increasing availability of other methods of birth control [contraception] as well as the changes to abortion access in states through referendums and ballot measures may mitigate these increases,” stated the study.

“Future work with more treatment years will better identify the long-term implications of the abortion bans.”