GOVERNOR’S ABORTION NUMBERS RAISE QUESTIONS AFTER THOUSANDS OF ABORTIONS APPEAR UNACCOUNTED FOR

Abortion Free New Mexico Challenges Governor to Release Source Behind 2024 Statistics

By Bud Shaver,

​ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Abortion Free New Mexico is calling on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to publicly identify the source of the abortion statistics she cited in her June 24, 2026, social media post commemorating the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.

In that post, the Governor stated that 11,512 patients received abortion care in New Mexico in 2024, with 71% traveling from outside the state, while celebrating New Mexico’s abortion policies.

​However, publicly available estimates tell a different story.

The Santa Fe New Mexican, citing the Society of Family Planning’s #WeCount Project, reported an estimated 18,600 abortions were performed in New Mexico during 2024, with 69% involving out-of-state patients. Likewise, the Guttmacher Institute’s Monthly Abortion Provision Study estimated as many as 18,130 clinician-provided abortions in New Mexico during 2024 using its monthly provider reporting methodology, while another Guttmacher report, using a different methodology, estimated approximately 12,700 abortions—further illustrating why New Mexico needs one universal, mandatory state reporting system rather than competing estimates.

​“Whether the number is 11,512, 18,130, or 18,600, New Mexicans are being presented with conflicting abortion statistics,” said Tara Shaver, leader with Abortion Free New Mexico. “The Governor should explain where her numbers came from and why they differ so dramatically from other publicly available estimates.”

​Reporting Is Not a Burden — It Is Accountability

Abortion Free New Mexico said the conflicting estimates demonstrate exactly why New Mexico needs a universal, mandatory abortion reporting system administered by the state.
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Both the Society of Family Planning and the Guttmacher Institute rely on abortion providers voluntarily supplying abortion data, supplemented by statistical methodologies where necessary.

​“During debate on SB 30, legislators argued that mandatory reporting to the State of New Mexico was too burdensome,” Shaver said. “Yet abortion providers are already voluntarily reporting abortion data to private organizations like the Society of Family Planning and the Guttmacher Institute. If providers can report to private organizations every month, they can report to the people of New Mexico. Reporting is not a burden—it is accountability.”

During House committee testimony on SB 30, a Planned Parenthood representative acknowledged that New Mexico’s abortion statistics have not been publicly reported since 2019, despite state law requiring annual reports. The representative stated that responsibility for publishing those reports rested with the New Mexico Department of Health Registrar and indicated reporting ceased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Representative Alan Martínez questioned why the reporting law had not been followed. Rather than restoring compliance, the Legislature ultimately repealed the reporting statute through SB 30.

​“That testimony exposed the problem,” Shaver said. “If abortion providers have been voluntarily reporting abortion data to private organizations while the state’s own reporting system has gone unused since 2019, how can New Mexicans independently verify any of these numbers?”

​A Glaring Contradiction

​Abortion Free New Mexico also questioned why state leaders argued against mandatory reporting while the Governor now publicly releases abortion statistics when promoting New Mexico’s abortion policies.

​“If the Governor is going to release abortion numbers on social media to advance her political agenda, then the public deserves access to the underlying data,” Shaver said. “You cannot eliminate transparency and then expect New Mexicans to simply accept whatever numbers politicians choose to release.”

​Shaver also criticized what she described as a double standard surrounding abortion data.

​“When organizations like ours publish abortion statistics or document the expansion of the abortion industry, we’re accused of violating confidentiality or engaging in harassment,” Shaver said. “But when the Governor releases abortion numbers, those same statistics are presented as achievements to celebrate. New Mexicans deserve one standard of transparency—not selective transparency.”

​Questions for the Governor

Abortion Free New Mexico is calling on Governor Lujan Grisham to answer three questions:

• What is the source of the 11,512 abortion figure cited in the June 24 social media post?
• Why does that figure differ from other publicly reported estimates for 2024?

• Will the Governor support restoring universal, mandatory abortion reporting so every abortion provider reports standardized data directly to the State of New Mexico?

​“This debate is larger than one statistic,” Shaver concluded. “It is about whether New Mexico will have one transparent, accountable reporting system that everyone can trust. The public should not have to choose between competing private estimates and political press releases. If the Governor is going to publicly celebrate abortion numbers, then every New Mexican deserves access to complete, verifiable data collected through a universal, mandatory state reporting system.”

​About Abortion Free New Mexico

Abortion Free New Mexico works to end abortion through investigative research, public exposure, accountability efforts, and direct outreach to women and families. Through sidewalk outreach, pregnancy assistance, and educational initiatives, the organization seeks to build a culture where every preborn child is valued and protected.