Question: approximately how many legal abortions occur in the united states each year?
Answer: Approximately 862,320 abortions were performed in 2017, down 7% from 926,190 in 2014. The abortion rate in 2017 was 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44, down 8% from 14.6 per 1,000 in 2014. This is the lowest rate ever observed in the United States; in 1973, the year abortion became legal, the rate was 16.3.