South Carolina Abortion Statistics
State abortion statistics from the leading public and private sources.
Abortion statistics for the state of South Carolina are collected by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control 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 South Carolina, visit: Abortion Stories (South Carolina)
LEGAL STATUS OF ABORTION IN South Carolina
In August, 2023, it became illegal in South Carolina to have an elective abortion following the point at which a fetal heartbeat can be detected (around six weeks gestation). This prohibition does not apply to the removal of a miscarried child. An abortion shall only be permitted past this point if it is deemed necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman, to prevent substantial and irreversible bodily harm, if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest, or if there is a fatal fetal anomaly. Anyone who performs or supplies an illegal abortion in South Carolina is guilty of a felony punishable by 2-5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. 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.
STATE-LEVEL DATA
Total Abortions (2024): 2,986
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reports that 2,986 abortions took place in South Carolina during 2024. This number includes abortions performed on out-of-state residents but does not include abortions performed on South Carolina residents in other states.
Total Abortions (2023): 8,187
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reports that 8,187 abortions took place in South Carolina during 2023. This number includes abortions performed on out-of-state residents but does not include abortions performed on South Carolina residents in other states.
SOURCE: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
GUTTMACHER DATA
Estimated Total Abortions (2025): 8,170
The Guttmacher Institute asserts that approximately 8,170 abortions took place in South Carolina during 2025, mostly through telehealth. Though it is illegal to have an abortion in South Carolina after the fetal heartbeat can be detected, 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 South Carolina abortion estimates by selected year.| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2020 | 2017 | 2014 | 2011 | 2008 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,170 | 6,940 | 9,600 | 5,300 | 5,120 | 6,040 | 6,620 | 7,300 | 7,080 |
Estimated Abortion Percentage (2025): 12%
In 2025, an estimated 12% of pregnancies in South Carolina 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): 7.7
The Guttmacher Institute estimates that the 2025 abortion rate for South Carolina was 7.7. Their estimated 2025 abortion rate across the entire United States was 16.6. The table below compares South Carolina abortion rates by selected year.
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2020 | 2017 | 2014 | 2011 | 2008 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 7.7 | 6.6 | 9.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 8.1 | 7.9 |
| 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): 0.7%
In 2025, approximately 0.7% of all U.S. abortions occurred in South Carolina.
Out-of-State Abortion Percentage (2025): 4%
The Guttmacher Institute estimates that 4% of the abortions that took place in South Carolina were performed on out-of-state residents.
Abortion Clinic Density: 0.3
Based on the 2025 counts, there are 0.3 abortion clinics for every 100,000 women of reproductive age (15-44) in South Carolina. Across the entire United States there are 1.1 abortion clinics for every 100,000 women of reproductive age.
Abortion Clinics in South Carolina (2025): 3
In 2025, the Guttmacher Institute reports that there were 3 abortion clinics in South Carolina and 3 facilities that performed abortion. The table below compares total South Carolina abortion facilities by selected year.
| 2025 | 2024 | 2020 | 2017 | 2014 | 2011 | 2008 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
SOURCE: https://states.guttmacher.org/policies/south-carolina/abortion-policies
CDC DATA
Total Abortions (2022): 7,276
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 7,276 abortions took place in South Carolina during 2022. This number includes abortions performed on out-of-state residents but does not include abortions performed on South Carolina residents in other states. The table below compares South Carolina abortion totals by year.
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,279 | 5,468 | 5,101 | 4,646 | 5,112 | 5,736 | 5,778 | 5,714 | 5,878 | 6,084 |
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,279 | 5,468 | 5,101 | 4,646 | 5,112 |
| 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,736 | 5,778 | 5,714 | 5,878 | 6,084 |
Abortion Percentage (2022): 11.2%
In 2022, 11.2% of pregnancies in South Carolina 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 South Carolina abortion percentages by year.
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 9.9% | 8.9% | 8.2% | 7.6% | 8.3% | 9.1% | 9.0% | 9% | 9.3% | 10% |
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 9.9% | 8.9% | 8.2% | 7.6% | 8.3% |
| U.S.* | 16.9% | 16.5% | 16.2% | 15.8% | 15.5% |
| 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 9.1% | 9.0% | 9% | 9.3% | 10% |
| U.S.* | 15.4% | 15.7% | 16.0% | 16.5% | 17% |
Out-of-State Abortion Percentage (2022): 24%
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 24% of the abortions that took place in South Carolina 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)
