Health & Fitness
Report Reveals Why Minnesotans Sought Abortions In 2022
The Minnesota Department of Health published a new report detailing the reasons women gave for terminating a pregnancy in 2022.
ST. PAUL, MN — Abortions in Minnesota jumped by 20 percent from 2021 to 2022, according to the Department of Health.
There were 12,175 abortions documented in 2022, up from 10,138 in 2021. Roughly half of that increase was from Minnesota residents and half from out-of-state residents, the department said in its annual report on abortion rates.
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Minnesotans accounted for 83.5 percent of the abortions that took place in the state.
An increase in abortions in Minnesota was expected following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
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Of its immediate neighbors, the state of Minnesota has by far the most liberal abortion laws. As a result, the state has become an abortion destination for much of the Midwest. North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin have near-total abortion bans currently in effect.
As part of its report, Minnesota health officials ask women why they are seeking an abortion. Some women gave multiple reasons:
- Pregnancy was a result of rape: 52
- Pregnancy was a result of incest: 9
- Economic reasons: 1,476
- Does not want children at this time: 7,335
- Emotional health is at stake: 1,097
- Physical Health is at stake: 598
- Continued pregnancy will cause impairment of major bodily function: 35
- Pregnancy resulted in fetal anomalies: 192
- Unknown or the woman refused to answer: 3,781
- Other stated reason: 193
- Physical or mental health issues and concerns: 41
- Education, career, and employment issues: 7
- Not ready or prepared for a child or more children at this time or family already completed: 42
- Relationship issues, including abuse, separation, divorce, or extra-marital affairs: 22
- Other miscellaneous responses: 52
- "Other reason" was indicated, but not specified: 29
Abortions have generally declined in Minnesota since 1980, when the Department of Health began compiling data. There were 19,028 abortions documented that year.
Editor's note: A previous version of this article misstated a portion of the survey data
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