Majority of Hispanic Americans Support Abortion Restrictions According to New Marist Poll

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Among Hispanic Americans, 6 in 10 (60 percent) say abortion should be limited to – at most – cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. More than 8 in 10 (86 percent) would limit it to at most, the first three months of pregnancy. The percentages are slightly higher than among Americans overall (57 percent and 81 percent respectively). The data were included in the results of a survey by The Marist Poll released this week in Washington.

More than 6 in 10 Hispanic Americans (63 percent) and a similar number of Americans overall (61 percent) would ban abortion after 20 weeks, except to save the life of the mother. And two-thirds of Hispanic Americans (66 percent) would ban taxpayer funding of abortion, a view shared by 68 percent of Americans overall.

"The data clearly show that there is a consensus in this country in favor of significant abortion restrictions, and this consensus transcends ethnicity," said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson. "We need a conversation that reflects the reality of this unity."

Nearly 6 in 10 Hispanics (59 percent) say abortion ultimately does a woman more harm than good. Americans overall agree (55 to 30 percent).

Additionally, 82 percent of Latinos and 77 percent of all Americans say that laws can protect both a mother and her unborn child.

And as with Americans in general (60 percent) Hispanics (59 percent) are just as likely to say abortion is "morally wrong."

A majority of Hispanic Americans also embraces the "pro-life" label (53 percent) compared to the "pro-choice" label (45 percent). Among Americans as a whole, 44 percent call themselves "pro-life," while 51 percent consider themselves "pro-choice." Interestingly, even among those Americans who identify as "pro-choice," majorities favor restricting abortion to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy (66 percent), stopping taxpayer funding of abortion (51 percent), and banning abortion after 20 weeks except to save the mother's life (62 percent).

The survey of 1,686 adults was conducted Nov. 15-22, 2015, by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Adults 18 years of age and older residing in the continental United States were interviewed in English and Spanish by telephone using live interviewers. Results for adults are statistically significant within ±2.4 percentage points. The error margin increases for cross-tabulations.

For more details about the survey results and methodology, visit kofc.org/polls.

SOURCE Knights of Columbus