Abortion bans increase birth rates and demand for nutrition assistance

A study in Economic Inquiry reveals how total abortion bans are reshaping public health systems and safety‐net programs in the United States.

Using state‐level data from 2017–2023, Lilly Springer, a PhD candidate at the University of Kansas, found that states with full abortion bans (after the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion with the Dobbs decision in 2022) experienced a 1.6% increased birth rate in 2023. They also experienced 4.3% and 2.1% increases in participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) among postpartum women and formula‐fed infants, respectively.

These changes led to a $6.9 million increase in WIC food‐assistance costs in 2023, revealing how abortion bans can rapidly increase demand on federally funded nutrition programs.

The findings highlight important under‐examined consequences of reproductive policy on state budgets, public health infrastructure, and low‐income families."

Lilly Springer, PhD candidate, University of Kansas