Three years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the decision’s impact extends beyond public health, now revealing massive economic consequences.
According to a recent analysis by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), abortion restrictions nationwide have resulted in more than $130 billion in annual economic losses, affecting states regardless of their abortion policies.
The IWPR report highlights that the 16 states with near-total abortion bans have collectively suffered over $64 billion in yearly economic damage since the June 2022 Dobbs ruling. This sum rivals the estimated healthcare costs related to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care for nearly all 3.6 million births in the U.S. last year.
Nationwide, the erosion of federal protections combined with state-level abortion restrictions—such as mandatory counseling, waiting periods, provider limitations, and gestational limits—have caused more than half a million women to leave the labor force annually. Black women and Latinas have been disproportionately affected, intensifying existing economic disparities.
Supporting this, recent studies from IWPR and the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) show a migration of young, educated workers away from states with abortion bans. Moreover, restrictions have been linked to a 7-10% rise in intimate partner violence, adding $1.24 billion in social costs through healthcare expenses and lost productivity.
Melissa Mahoney, senior economist at IWPR and lead author of the report, emphasizes that the crisis extends beyond women’s health, stating, “This is not just a women’s crisis, it’s really a national economic crisis of significant magnitude.”
A Harris poll released recently found women across political lines increasingly anxious about the economy, compounded by rising childcare costs and insufficient federal paid leave. Abortion bans exacerbate these pressures by pushing many women into lower-paying roles or out of the workforce altogether.
Rutgers University economist Yana Rodgers, who reviewed the IWPR report, noted the findings align with established research on abortion’s role in women’s economic empowerment. She cautions that the actual economic losses could be even greater due to anticipated increases in child poverty and reliance on public assistance.
States with the strictest abortion laws, such as Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia, face the most significant economic setbacks.
IWPR estimates these states lose around $1.8 billion annually and could see substantial boosts in women’s labor participation and GDP if restrictions were lifted. In fact, lifting bans nationwide could raise U.S. GDP by 0.5%, a meaningful increase given recent growth rates.
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