A new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that enforcement of Wisconsin’s pre-Roe abortion prohibition following the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, from early 2022 to fall of 2023, corresponded with a 1.3% increase in births statewide above what researchers expected, with even higher rates in the counties of Dane, Columbia, and Iowa. Researchers believe this is likely because these counties had the greatest driving distance to the nearest legal abortion facility.
This study shows that abortion does indeed contribute to suppressed birth rates. Every state falls below the replacement birth rate of 2.1, and abortion is certainly contributing to that. Wisconsin has been below replacement birth rate since 1974. Promoting a culture of life and God’s design for marriage and family are the keys to solving this crisis.
