The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration has released its report detailing how many abortions were performed for residents in each of the state’s counties so far this year.
Abortion has become a controversial topic in recent decades, with supporters saying it’s a matter of women’s bodily autonomy, and opponents arguing it’s a form of infanticide.
In total, the reports say there have been nearly 15,000 abortions performed in the state as of April 1, with the vast majority being elective, meaning a woman has chosen to terminate her pregnancy without explicit justification.
Non-medically necessary abortions — including those made for elective, social or emotional reasons — made up over 97% of cases, state officials said.
By contrast, less than 0.6% of abortions performed in Florida this year were for reasons including incest, rape, fatal fetal abnormalities, or a threat to the mother’s life, the report shows.
In addition, the FAHCA reports that around 13,000 abortions were performed within the first trimester, though over 1,500 were performed within the second.
The abortion totals by reason and trimester as of April 1 are as follows:
| Reason | Total | 1st Trimester | 2nd Trimester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elective | 10,774 | 9,733 | 1,041 |
| Social/Economic Reasons | 3,187 | 2,865 | 322 |
| Emotional/Psychological Health of Mother | 370 | 336 | 34 |
| Physical Health of Mother (Not Life-Endangering) | 228 | 197 | 31 |
| Life-Endangering Physical Condition | 34 | 19 | 15 |
| Serious Fetal Genetic Defect, Deformity or Abnormality | 88 | 41 | 47 |
| Incest | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Rape | 25 | 22 | 3 |
| Victim of Human Trafficking | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fatal Fetal Abnormality | 28 | 0 | 27 |
| TOTAL | 14,735 | 13,214 | 1,520 |
As of this year, Florida law bans elective abortions after six weeks (about halfway through the first trimester) thanks to legislation passed in 2023 titled the “Heartbeat Protection Act.”
According to the CDC, an unborn child’s central nervous system and heart can begin to develop as early as three weeks into a pregnancy, which is likely the cause behind the law’s title.
A 15-year ban was upheld by the state’s Supreme Court, allowing the six-week ban to take effect on May 1 — with some exceptions.
Proponents say the legislation will protect many unborn children from being killed. Meanwhile, critics claim that the narrowed timeline will result in many women not being able to receive an abortion before they even realize they’re pregnant.
Miami-Dade and Broward counties were the two with the greatest number of abortions performed, according to the report. However, over 1,300 women came to Florida from out of state to seek an abortion.
The total number of abortions performed per county is as follows:
| County | No. of Abortions |
|---|---|
| Alachua | 151 |
| Bay | 56 |
| Brevard | 236 |
| Broward | 1,898 |
| Charlotte | 40 |
| Citrus | 36 |
| Clay | 70 |
| Collier | 154 |
| Columbia | 28 |
| Miami-Dade | 3,028 |
| Duval | 602 |
| Escambia | 63 |
| Flagler | 37 |
| Gadsden | 29 |
| Hendry | 25 |
| Hernando | 61 |
| Highlands | 37 |
| Hillsborough | 1,294 |
| Indian River | 74 |
| Lake | 163 |
| Lee | 370 |
| Leon | 216 |
| Manatee | 190 |
| Marion | 152 |
| Martin | 57 |
| Okaloosa | 53 |
| Okeechobee | 23 |
| Orange | 930 |
| Osceola | 193 |
| Palm Beach | 963 |
| Pasco | 230 |
| Pinellas | 516 |
| Polk | 426 |
| Putnam | 28 |
| St. Johns | 62 |
| St. Lucie | 189 |
| Santa Rosa | 24 |
| Sarasota | 109 |
| Seminole | 192 |
| Volusia | 208 |
| Walton | 21 |
| Out of State | 1,316 |
*Counties with a total of 20 or fewer are included in the statewide total but not displayed in the county-by-county figures.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: