WASHINGTON — A majority of people in the United States describe themselves as pro-life on the abortion issue, marking a substantial change in public opinion in the last year, according to a new Gallup Poll.
The survey results released May 15 showed 51 percent of adults say they are pro-life, while 42 percent identify themselves as pro-choice. It is the first time a majority of Americans have called themselves pro-life since Gallup began asking the question in 1995. Until now, no poll had shown more than 46 percent saying they are pro-life.
A year ago, the same poll, which is titled the Gallup Values and Beliefs survey, showed 50 percent considered themselves pro-choice and 44 percent pro-life.
Gallup Poll Daily, another survey by the same organization, found almost identical results a few days after its sister poll. It showed 50 percent of Americans are pro-life and 43 percent are pro-choice.
A Pew Research Center poll released April 30 found a similar shift in opinion on abortion. That survey reported support for legal abortion fell by 8 percent in an eight-month period. The percentage of American adults who believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases declined from 54 percent in August to 46 percent, according to Pew. Those who oppose legal abortion in all or most cases increased from 41 to 44 percent.
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