- A new Gallup poll found that a 55% majority in the US now identify as pro-choice.
- It is the highest pro-choice sentiment displayed since 1995, when it was 56%, per Gallup News.
- The study was conducted "mostly after" a leaked draft showed the Supreme Court is set to overturn Roe v. Wade.
A 55% majority in the United States now identify as in favor of abortion rights, according to a new Gallup poll.
It is the highest point that pro-abortion sentiment has reached since it hit 56% in 1995, according to Gallup News.
The rise in support for abortion rights comes after a leaked draft opinion obtained by Politico showed that the Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark US ruling that granted women the constitutional right to an abortion nearly 50 years ago.
Written by Justice Samuel Alito, the draft condemned the reasoning behind Roe, prompting concerns it could help set the stage for additional rights to be overturned, Insider's Kelsey Vlamis reported. Following the leak and dozens of protests, it was reported that none of the conservative members of the Court has changed their minds on the draft.
In the last decade, pro-choice identification hovered around 45-50%, according to Gallup data. In 2021, respondents identified as 49% pro-choice and 47% pro-life, according to Gallup data, which used "pro-choice" and "pro-life" terminology in the survey process.
Some 1,007 US adults responded to the latest survey, which posed the question: "With respect to the abortion issue, would you consider yourself to be pro-choice or pro-life?"
The survey was done by phone between May 2 and 22. The Supreme Court draft was leaked on May 2.
In another record high, the Gallup poll found that 35% of respondents favor abortion being legal under any circumstances.
The combined percentage opting for abortion being "legal under any/most" conditions rose from 45% in 2021 to 53% in 2022. Likewise, the combined percentage for abortion to be "legal in only a few/illegal in all" circumstances decreased from 52% in 2021 to 45% in 2022.