In last week’s Vital Signs, we drew attention to a recent Gallup poll on abortion showing that the number of Americans who say they are pro-life has grown by 2% in the past year – a small shift but not bad when you factor in the wall-to-wall negative media coverage against pro-lifers there since Roe v Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court.
But writing in LifeNews on Wednesday, Professor Michael J. New took a much closer look at the survey and pointed to the unreported finding that there has been a much more significant shift to the pro-life side among young adults. The Gallup poll found that the percentage of young adults aged 18-29 who thought “abortion should be legal in all circumstances” fell from 54 percent to 44 percent – a 10 percentage point drop.
He pointed out that when one compares the results of the 2025 Gallup poll to the 2023 Gallup poll, the pro-life gains among young adults are even more impressive. Between 2023 and 2025, the percentage of young adults who identified as “pro-life” increased by eight percentage points. Furthermore, the percentage of young adults who thought “abortion should be legal in all circumstances” fell by a massive 14 percentage points.
It’s a terrific news story and hopefully a sign that a genuine societal transformation is underway. Bu like every part of the challenge we face, success depends on staying focussed and constantly improving the way we convey the message and engage both hearts and minds.