Newly released state data show 49,450 abortions in 2024, up from 24,355 in 2023, a 103% year-over-year increase. The rise was driven primarily by a sharp expansion of telehealth and chemical abortion, which became the dominant method statewide.
In 2024, telehealth accounted for approximately 30,902 cases (about 62.5%), compared with 5,744 in 2023. Chemical abortions represented more than 80% of all procedures, while surgical methods comprised a minority. The data indicate that nearly the entire increase in total volume is attributable to remote abortion pill sales.
Residency patterns also shifted. In 2024, 27,836 abortions involved out-of-state residents, compared with 21,407 Massachusetts residents, marking a reversal from 2023, when in-state patients comprised the majority. The figures suggest Massachusetts now functions primarily as a regional access hub.
Age distribution remained concentrated among adults in their 20s and early 30s. The largest groups were ages 25–29 (13,506), 20–24 (12,261), and 30–34 (10,630). Together, women ages 20–34 accounted for roughly 73% of all abortions. Teenagers (≤19) represented 4,327 cases (8.7%), while those 40 and older accounted for 2,402 (4.9%).
Gestational age patterns were largely unchanged from the prior year. Approximately 96.5% of abortions occurred at 0–12 weeks, with only a small fraction beyond 20 weeks and 99 cases at 24 weeks or later.
Payment data show self-pay accounted for 32,828 cases (66.4%), up sharply from 2023. Public insurance covered 17.2%, private insurance 11.2%, and funding assistance programs were used in about 26% of cases.
In a statement, MCFL president Myrna Maloney Flynn said the findings reflect the administration’s stated policy priorities. She referenced comments from Governor Maura Healey, who previously said, “Whatever it takes, whatever we need to do as a state to support access to reproductive healthcare — to health care, which I think is a human right — we are going to do.”
Flynn wrote that the data show the state expanded services beyond its borders, noting that out-of-state patients now outnumber residents who have abortions. She also raised concerns about reporting changes in the state’s 2024 publication, stating that certain demographic and facility-level details previously included are no longer reported.
The 2024 data reflect three primary shifts from the prior year: total volume more than doubling, telehealth becoming the dominant delivery method, and out-of-state patients becoming the majority.
Read the full report here.