The Public Religion Research Institute interviewed more than 22,000 adults in 2025 and found that majorities of some of the largest religious groups in America, including 57% of white Catholics, 62% of Hispanic Catholics, 65% of white mainline/non-evangelical Protestants, and 70% of black Protestants, support abortion's legality in all or most cases.
But Michael New, an assistant professor of practice at the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America and a senior associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, does not think the survey tells enough to conclude that, in one headline's words, "Most mainline Protestants, Catholics support legal abortion."
"Stated religious belief is not a strong predictor of attitudes on abortion; what is a stronger predictor is actual church attendance," he tells AFN. "If you look at Catholics who attend mass weekly, if you look at other Christians who attend a church service at least weekly, there's a lot more opposition to legal abortions."
New also does not like how the questions were framed.
"I don't think most people really know that most abortions tend to be elective," he says. "In reality, we know that a very small percent are rape, incest, life of the mother, fetal deformity, but that's not what most people think; most people think that a lot of the situations where women seek abortions are unique, hard case circumstances, and that's why they often will say it should be legal in most circumstances."
New — who has examined the research — believes the coverage of this poll has been "a bit misleading," as it actually shows a slight gain in pro-life sentiment.
"Sixty-three percent thought abortion should be legal in most or all cases in 2024," New notes. "That fell to 61%."
Based on long-term data often cited in the abortion debate, American attitudes have shifted from a slightly more pro-choice majority toward a more closely divided, nuanced and recently polarized stance.
Since 1996, Gallup has recorded a significant drop in the number of Americans saying that abortion should be legal "under any circumstances." Support for full legality remained relatively stable for decades, but it spiked following the Dobbs decision in 2022.
