Abortion restrictions carry ‘severe economic consequences’

Barriers to abortion access disproportionately affect low-income women and lead to significant hardship, rising debt and widening income inequality. A study analyzing abortion provider locations and operations in Texas from 2009 to 2019 found that increases in travel distance create “significant declines” in labor force participation and are also linked to increased rates of property crime, particularly burglary, auto theft and robbery. The authors state their results align with previous research, adding that raising a child has been estimated to cost more than $12,000 per year for middle-income families: “Existing evidence suggests that being denied an abortion and the consequent unwanted childbirth have severe economic consequences.”