In 2005, who provided the abortions?

While looking for abortion information, I came across this study published in 2008, Abortion in the United States: Incidence and Access to Services, 2005.[1]

• 1/3 of abortion providers are hospitals, but hospitals only performed 5% of abortions.
• 62% of hospitals that performed abortions performed 30 or less abortions in 2005.
• Twenty hospitals reported 400–999 abortions, and only seven reported 1,000 or more.
• 1/5 of abortion providers are physician offices, but physician offices only performed 2% of abortions.
• 53% of physician offices reported fewer than 30 abortions in 2005.
• 80% of abortions are performed in a facility that performs 1000 or more abortions.
• 381 specialized abortion clinics performed 69% of all abortions. 
• 435 nonspecialized clinic providers performed 25% of abortions.

Trends in abortion incidence may be affected by changes in access to services. Between 1982 and 2000, the number of abortion providers declined by about 38%, from a high of 2,900 to 1,800. Some of this decline was due to a shift from hospital-based providers to specialized abortion clinics, a trend that may offer greater accessibility, because, for example, abortion clinics generally charge less than other types of providers, and many advertise, making them easier to locate. But the decline in the number of providers may mean that some women have a more difficult time locating and affording services. The proportion of counties without an abortion provider increased from 77% in 1978 to 87% in 2000, and the proportion of women of childbearing age residing in these counties increased from 27% to 34%.


Abortion providers are suffering financially from the decline in abortions.  Last year, a hospital was forced to stop providing elective abortions, because of  lack of demand.[2]  Also, notice that Planned Parenthood provides about 1/3 of abortions, but abortion is only about 3% of its services.  The vast majority of abortions in 2005 were provided by specialized abortion clinics.  If all goes well, abortion will continue to decline.