Abortion rises on list of Americans' most important problems: Gallup

The number of Americans ranking abortion as the nation’s top issue has reached a new high, according to a Gallup poll published Monday.

The polling showed that 8 percent of Americans listed abortion as the most important problem facing the U.S., the highest number of respondents who have said that since Gallup began tracking the issue in 1984. The number puts abortion in fourth place overall, behind the economy, inflation and “dysfunctional government or bad leadership.”

Inflation and dysfunctional government are tied for the top spot at 17 percent, while general economic issues grabbed 12 percent. 

Democrat respondents were more likely to list abortion as a top issue than their Republican counterparts, with 13 percent of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents saying abortion is the country’s top concern — compared to just 4 percent of Republicans.

Gallup noted that the uptick in mentions of abortion follows the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, which has led to abortion bans and restrictions in a number of states.

In May, after news of a draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade had leaked, the number of Americans listing abortion as a top concern had risen to 5 percent.

That number went up to 8 percent after the formal decision was released.

Conducted July 5-26, Gallup surveyed 1,013 adults via phone. The results have a 4-point margin of sampling error at the 95 percent confidence level.