Abortion bans and restrictions are costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars annually in lost earnings among women ages 15 through 44, according to a new analysis from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Oklahoma’s policies account for more than $1.8 billion of those losses.
The data comes four years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The DC-based think tank drew on three years of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to follow the impacts of abortion policies across every state. It used a seven-tier classification system created by the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research organization that supports abortion access, to highlight the severity of state-level policies.
Oklahoma is one of 16 states categorized as “most restrictive.” This designation applies to states with total or near-total abortion bans in effect last year.
“Most restrictive” states result in nearly $68 billion in lost earnings annually, according to the report.
“Those losses — amounting to billions of dollars — could otherwise support what families actually need: affordable health care, caregiving, higher wages, business growth, and new jobs that strengthen local communities and state economies,” the report reads.
Restrictions in other states – like waiting periods, mandated counseling and regulations on abortion providers – federal funding prohibitions, and a lack of federal protections add to the annual economic cost nationwide, which is estimated to be more than $140 billion.
These policies disproportionately impact Black and Latina women, who face higher labor force losses than any other racial or ethnic group, according to the report.
The analysis estimates that removing barriers to reproductive healthcare could mean nearly 325,000 more women participating in the labor force each year. Oklahoma’s GDP and women’s labor force participation could be 0.7% and 0.8% higher, respectively.
Institute for Women’s Policy Research President and CEO Jamila Taylor said legal access to abortion care supports economic stability in the U.S.
“When states deny people their bodily autonomy, they’re also limiting their ability to pursue the education and career options that are right for them and to build financial stability for their family and community,” Taylor said. “Abortion restrictions don’t just harm those who may become pregnant—they harm everyone.”
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