Poll: Most Americans Support Restrictions, Oppose Taxpayer Funding of Abortion

A majority of Americans reject far-left Democrats’ push for abortion on demand and support at least some restrictions on abortion, a new poll found.

Marist Poll released a survey in partnership with the Knights of Columbus ahead of the first March for Life since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June of 2022. The survey found that 69 percent of 1,025 adults polled believe there should be at least some restrictions or an all-out ban on abortion.

While 61 percent identify as “pro-choice” and 39 percent as “pro-life,” only 21 percent of Americans believe abortion should be available at any point in pregnancy — including 32 percent of Democrats, four percent of Republicans, and 20 percent of independents. Ten percent of Americans say abortion should be available within the first six months of pregnancy.

In contrast, 25 percent of those polled believe abortion should be restricted to within the first three months of pregnancy; 26 percent say it should be restricted except in cases of rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother; ten percent say it should be banned except for the life of the mother; and eight percent say it should be outlawed entirely. Combined, these percentages make up 69 percent who believe there should be restrictions on abortions beginning at least three months of pregnancy.

“Nearly 7 in 10 Americans believe abortion should be limited,” Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho, Director of the Marist Poll, said in a statement Wednesday. “After a year of contentious public debate over the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, the results are comparable to the findings of a Knights of Columbus–Marist Poll conducted last January.”

By political affiliation, 49 percent of Democrats, 93 percent of Republicans, and 70 percent of independents support restricting abortion at three months or earlier. Between June of 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe, and January of 2023, the percentage of Americans who believe in abortion up to six months of pregnancy decreased from 37 percent to 21 percent. At the same time, Americans who say “at most within the first three months” rose from 62 percent to 69 percent since the Dobbs decision.

Respondents were polled on other areas of abortion policy as well, including taxpayer funding of abortions, religious liberty and abortion, and abortions based on specific characteristics.

Seventy-eight percent of Americans oppose taxpayer funding of abortions abroad, including 61 percent of Democrats, 91 percent of Republicans, and 81 percent of independents. Sixty percent oppose forcing taxpayers to fund abortion in the United States, which is six points higher (54 percent) than the results from last January.

Nearly all Americans (94 percent) oppose sex-selective abortions, including 74 percent who “strongly oppose.” Voters of every political affiliation oppose the aborting of unborn babies based on sex at over 90 percent.

However, more Americans are supportive (40 percent) of “abortion because the child will be born with Down syndrome,” while 60 percent oppose. By political affiliation, 52 percent of Democrats support aborting a child because he or she is expected to be born with Down syndrome, compared to 21 percent of Republican voters, and 43 percent of independents. The percentage of Americans who support aborting babies who may have Down syndrome has increased from 22 percent in January 2021 to 40 percent this year.

When asked about whether “health care professionals who have religious objections to abortion should or should not be legally required to perform abortions,” 77 percent say they should not be required to participate. Fifty-five percent say employers with religious objections should not be forced to pay for abortion coverage in their employees’ insurance. 

Respondents were also asked about pro-life pregnancy resource centers, many of which have recently been attacked by pro-abortion zealots and falsely framed as “fake clinics” by far-left Democrats. Marist Poll asked respondents if they support or opposed pregnancy resource centers, which are “places that do not perform abortions but instead offer support to people during their pregnancy and after the baby is born.” In response, 91 percent of those polled say they support the work that pregnancy resource centers do, including 88 percent of Democrats. 

The survey was conducted between January 6-9, 2023, and has a ±3.5 percent margin of error.