More Americans consider themselves to be pro-life (51 percent) than pro-choice (42 percent), according to a new Gallup poll. It's the first time since Gallup started asking the question in 1995 that a majority of respondents said they're pro-life.
The results of the survey (which has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points) suggests a significant shift in attitudes, the Los Angeles Times reported. Last year, 50 percent of respondents said they were pro-choice, while 44 percent said they were pro-life.
The new poll found that 53 percent of Americans support legal abortion only in certain circumstances. The number of those who believe abortion should be illegal in all circumstances is 22 percent, while 23 percent think abortion should be legal in any circumstances.
In recent years, surveys found that people who opposed all restrictions outnumbered by a wider margin those who supported a total abortion ban, the Times reported.