Kentucky Abortion Statistics
State abortion statistics from the leading public and private sources.
Abortion statistics for the state of Kentucky are collected by the Kentucky Department for Public Health and reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The most recent abortion report available from the CDC is for 2022.
The Guttmacher Institute surveys U.S. abortion providers to tabulate state and nationwide abortion totals, but these are unofficial estimates. Only half of providers typically respond.
To learn more about abortion, visit: Prenatal Development, Abortion Procedures or Abortion Pictures
To read abortion stories from Kentucky, visit: Abortion Stories (Kentucky)
LEGAL STATUS OF ABORTION IN Kentucky
As of 2022—following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, it is illegal to perform an elective abortion in Kentucky following the detection of a fetal heartbeat. An abortion shall only be permitted after this point if it is deemed necessary to preserve the life of the mother. The performance or attempted performance of an illegal abortion in Kentucky is a Class D felony punishable by a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment of up to five years, and the revocation of one’s medical license. No woman upon whom an abortion is performed or attempted may be charged or convicted of a criminal offense in the death of her own unborn child.
SOURCE: House Bill 5 / Senate Bill 9
STATE-LEVEL DATA
Total Abortions (2024): 9
The Kentucky Department for Public Health reports that 9 abortions took place in Kentucky during 2024. This number includes abortions performed on out-of-state residents but does not include abortions performed on Kentucky residents in other states.
Total Abortions (2023): 23
The Kentucky Department for Public Health reports that 23 abortions took place in Kentucky during 2023. This number includes abortions performed on out-of-state residents but does not include abortions performed on Kentucky residents in other states.
GUTTMACHER DATA
Estimated Total Abortions (2025): 3,440
The Guttmacher Institute asserts that approximately 3,440 telehealth abortions took place in Kentucky during 2025. Though it is illegal to have an abortion in Kentucky, a handful of states give sanctuary to online abortion “clinics” operating within their borders. These entities anonymously send abortion drugs through the mail into states where abortion is banned. As such, these totals cannot be confirmed or denied. The table below compares Guttmacher’s Kentucky abortion estimates by selected year.| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2020 | 2017 | 2014 | 2011 | 2008 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,440 | 2,770 | 960 | 4,080 | 3,200 | 3,530 | 3,970 | 4,430 | 3,870 |
Estimated Abortion Percentage (2025): 6%
In 2025, an estimated 6% of pregnancies in Kentucky ended in abortion. This number does not take into account miscarriages. It was arrived at by dividing Guttmacher's abortion estimate by the sum total of live births—as reported by the CDC—and estimated abortions.
Estimated Abortion Rate* (2025): 3.9
The Guttmacher Institute estimates that the 2025 abortion rate for Kentucky was 3.9. Their estimated 2025 abortion rate across the entire United States was 16.6. The table below compares Kentucky abortion rates by selected year.
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2020 | 2017 | 2014 | 2011 | 2008 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KY | 3.9 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 4.4 |
| U.S. | 16.6 | 16.6 | 16.0 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 14.6 | 16.9 | 19.4 | 19.4 |
*The abortion rate is the number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years.
Percentage of All U.S. Abortions (2025): 0.3%
In 2025, approximately 0.3% of all U.S. abortions occurred in Kentucky.
Out-of-State Abortion Percentage (2025): NA
An estimate of the percentage of abortions performed on out-of-state residents was not made for Kentucky in 2024.
Abortion Clinic Density: 0
Based on the 2025 counts, there are 0 abortion clinics for every 100,000 women of reproductive age (15-44) in Kentucky. Across the entire United States there are 1.1 abortion clinics for every 100,000 women of reproductive age.
Abortion Clinics in Kentucky (2025): 0
In 2025, the Guttmacher Institute reports that there were 0 abortion clinics in Kentucky and 0 facilities that performed abortion. The table below compares total Kentucky abortion facilities by selected year.
| 2025 | 2024 | 2020 | 2017 | 2014 | 2011 | 2008 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
SOURCE: https://states.guttmacher.org/policies/kentucky/abortion-policies
CDC DATA
Total Abortions (2022): 2,550
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 2,550 abortions took place in Kentucky during 2022. This number includes abortions performed on out-of-state residents but does not include abortions performed on Kentucky residents in other states. The table below compares Kentucky abortion totals by year.
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,441 | 4,104 | 3,664 | 3,203 | 3,201 | 3,312 | 3,188 | 3,442 | 3,637 | 3,810 |
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,441 | 4,104 | 3,664 | 3,203 | 3,201 |
| 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,312 | 3,188 | 3,442 | 3,637 | 3,810 |
Abortion Percentage (2022): 4.7%
In 2022, 4.7% of pregnancies in Kentucky ended in abortion—compared to 16.6% of pregnancies nationwide.* This number does not take into account miscarriages. It was arrived at by dividing the state abortion ratio by the sum of the abortion ratio plus 1,000. The abortion ratio is the number of abortions that occurred per 1,000 lives births. The table below compares Kentucky abortion percentages by year.
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KY | 7.8% | 7.3% | 6.5% | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.7% | 5.4% | 5.7% | 6.1% | 6% |
| U.S.* | 16.9% | 16.5% | 16.2% | 15.8% | 15.5% | 15.4% | 15.7% | 16.0% | 16.5% | 17% |
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KY | 7.8% | 7.3% | 6.5% | 5.6% | 5.5% |
| U.S.* | 16.9% | 16.5% | 16.2% | 15.8% | 15.5% |
| 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KY | 5.7% | 5.4% | 5.7% | 6.1% | 6% |
| U.S.* | 15.4% | 15.7% | 16.0% | 16.5% | 17% |
Out-of-State Abortion Percentage (2022): 16%
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 16% of the abortions that took place in Kentucky were performed on out-of-state residents.
*U.S. averages are limited to reporting districts.
Parent Page:
- State Abortion Statistics: Comparative state abortion stats by rank, total, percentage, and clinics.
Related Entries:
- U.S. Abortion Statistics: Facts and figures relating to the frequency of abortion in the United States.
- U.S. Abortion Law: An overview of the history and legality of abortion in the United States.
- U.S. Abortion History: The 200-year history of abortion in America goes back well before 1973.
For Further Study:
- The Remarkably High Cost of Cheap Sex (Abort73 Blog)
- Does Poverty Lead to Abortion, or Does Abortion Lead to Poverty? (Abort73 Blog)
- The Law Can’t Make Abortion Safe; Birth Control Can’t Make Abortion Rare (Abort73 Blog)
- It’s All the Same: Why Early and Late-Term Abortion are Moral Equivalents (Abort73 Blog)
- The Moral Dilemma of Repeat Abortion (Abort73 Blog)
- Who is Most at Risk to Have an Abortion? (Abort73 Blog)
- Marriage, Contraception, and Unplanned Pregnancy (Abort73 Blog)
