For the first time in Gallup polling history, a majority of Americans say they believe abortion is morally acceptable.
The poll was conducted in the days and weeks after a leaked opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court indicated the justices may overturn Roe v. Wade and send the issue back to the states.
The survey found that a record 52 percent believe abortion is morally acceptable, while 38 percent think it is morally wrong. It is the first time "in Gallup's trend on the moral acceptability of abortion" that support has topped 50 percent, the polling organization said. The 38 percent is an all-time low.
Last year, Americans were mostly split, with 47 percent saying abortion is morally acceptable and 46 percent believing it is morally wrong. In 2019, only 42 percent said it was morally acceptable, with 50 percent saying it is morally wrong.
"The prospect of the Supreme Court overturning the case that established women's right to seek an abortion has clearly jolted a segment of Americans into identifying with the pro-choice side of the issue and expressing more unequivocal support for abortion being legal," Gallup's Lydia Saad wrote in an online analysis.
Americans were asked: "Regardless of whether or not you think it should be legal … please tell me whether you personally believe that in general" abortion is "morally acceptable or morally wrong." Gallup first asked the question in 2001.
Meanwhile, 55 percent of Americans identify as pro-choice – the highest percentage on that question since 1995. About 4 in 10 Americans (39 percent) call themselves pro-choice.
Despite the findings, a majority of Americans still believe abortion should not be available in the second and third trimesters, with only 36 percent saying it should "generally be legal" in the second trimester and 20 percent saying it should be generally legal in the third trimester.
The survey was conducted between May 2-22 among 1,007 adults, mostly after the opinion was published on Politico.com on the evening of May 2.
Related:
Supreme Court Has Votes to Overturn Roe in Draft Opinion: 'Pray They Stay Strong,' Pro-Lifers Urge
Photo courtesy: Gayatri Malhotra/Unsplash
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
