By Michael Gryboski, Editor Monday, November 03, 2025

A recent report from a prominent pro-life organization ranks all 50 states on their laws regarding abortion, assisted suicide and conscience protection for healthcare workers.

Americans United for Life released its annual "Life List" state rankings, naming Arkansas the most pro-life state in the country for the sixth consecutive year.

"AUL looks at each state's protections for life from conception to natural death. This includes laws on abortion, legal recognition of preborn children, bioethics, assisted suicide and end-of-life patient care, and healthcare rights of conscience," the organization stated. "Additionally, states are awarded points for their life-affirming cultural and political landscape and momentum."

Louisiana placed second in the United States, followed by Indiana in third place, and then Oklahoma, Mississippi, South Dakota, Arizona, Kentucky, Idaho, and Tennessee in tenth place.

By contrast, AUL designated Oregon as the least pro-life state in the country, while New Jersey was 49th, followed by Vermont, which ranked 50th last year. Hawaii, Washington, New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, California and New Mexico round out the list of the 10 least pro-life states in the country. 

At an event held in Little Rock last Monday, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined representatives of AUL and the Arkansas Family Council to celebrate the results of the report.

"Pro-life is whole life, and I'm proud that for the past six years, Arkansas has ranked number one in the nation — not just in protecting the unborn, but in preserving life from conception to natural conclusion," said Sanders in a statement.

"I'm thankful to the activists who have fought for this day for decades and promise that as governor, I will continue to fight every day to protect the most vulnerable among us."

Arkansas prohibits abortion in nearly all circumstances, with a notable exception being to save the life of the mother. For her part, Sanders has also signed a ban on abortions performed due to an unborn baby's race and allocated $5 million to help support women facing unplanned pregnancies.

The governor's office listed additional actions Sanders has taken to advance the pro-life movement by working to improve Arkansas' foster care and adoption system, allocating $1 million to the foster placement budget earlier this year and signing a law to allocate $45 million to promote maternal health.

"Arkansans should be proud of their state legislators for passing the best laws in the nation when it comes to protecting unborn children, the elderly, the disabled, and the terminally ill," Arkansas Family Council President Jerry Cox said in a statement.

"Being pro-life is about much more than opposing abortion," he added. "We are focused on helping women and families with unexpected pregnancies, and we are making sure our laws respect and protect innocent human life at every stage from conception until natural death."

"We look forward to continuing that pro-life mission in 2026."