UNDATED – South Dakota officially logged zero in-state abortions in 2024, according to the Department of Health.
Why it matters
While Gov. Kristi Noem declared 2024 as “Freedom for Life Year” and the state reported no legal abortions within its borders, national researchers say that number hides the broader reality.
According to data from the Charlotte Lozier Institute and the #WeCount project, hundreds of South Dakota women still ended pregnancies—many by traveling to states like Minnesota and Colorado, others by receiving abortion pills through the mail. The conflicting numbers highlight the growing divide between official state data and national estimates in the post-Roe era.
The state’s near-total abortion ban, triggered in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, permits abortion only to save the mother’s life. The health department reports only legal procedures performed by licensed providers within South Dakota.
New report claims otherwise
A July 2025 report by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, using Guttmacher Institute data, estimates that 460 South Dakota residents traveled out of state for abortion care in 2024. Of those, 330 went to Minnesota and 130 to Colorado.
“Numbers reported by the state do not include abortions obtained by residents outside South Dakota,” said Mia Steupert, a Lozier research analyst. “This provides only a partial picture of abortion demand” (Charlotte Lozier Institute, July 2025).
The #WeCount project, run by the Society of Family Planning, estimates an additional 350 South Dakotans received abortion pills by mail in 2024. That figure reflects pill shipments, not confirmed medication use.
Former Gov. Kristi Noem, a vocal abortion opponent, proclaimed 2024 as “Freedom for Life Year,” celebrating the state’s ban and pledging support for mothers and children throughout the first 1,000 days of life. She has not addressed the recent estimates of abortion access through travel or medication.
State officials have not publicly commented on the out-of-state or mail-order data, but past health department reports note they do not track abortions occurring outside South Dakota jurisdiction.
Opponents of abortion restrictions argue that a lack of in-state procedures doesn’t mean there’s no demand. Abortion rights organizations say the ban increases costs, delays care, and forces residents to seek alternatives.
Anti-abortion advocates have expressed skepticism of national estimates, arguing they may rely on assumptions or duplicate counts. However, no alternative data has been provided.
Mixed results on the issues by S.D. voters
South Dakota voters have weighed in on related issues before. In 2006 and 2008, they rejected abortion bans at the ballot box. More recently, organizers launched a 2024 initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, but it failed to qualify.
The state’s official number remains zero. But national research suggests that about 810 South Dakota residents ended pregnancies in 2024, despite the state ban.
