what percentage of the american population supported rowe v wade?
Most Americans have generally supported legal abortion rights associated with Roe v. Wade, but the exact share depends on how the question is phrased. Recent polling found 64% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and 55% say Roe v. Wade is favorable, while about two-thirds said they did not want Roe overturned in earlier polling.
What the polls show
- 64% said abortion should be legal in all or most cases in an AP-NORC poll from July 2025.
- 55% viewed Roe v. Wade favorably in a Navigator Research poll.
- About two-thirds said they did not support overturning Roe in a 2022 NPR/PBS/Marist poll.
Important nuance
“Supported Roe v. Wade” can mean different things:
- supporting the court decision itself ;
- supporting legal abortion generally ;
- or opposing the overturning of Roe.
Those are related, but not identical measures.
Clean takeaway
If you want one simple answer: roughly 55% to 64% of Americans have supported the Roe-era abortion right in recent polling, depending on the wording.