WWL released an article yesterday signaling some good news for pro-lifers. According to Louisiana Right to Life, there was a 4% drop in the number of incidents of Louisiana abortion from 2015 to 2016.

Abortions in the Bayou State have decreased by 4% from 2015 to 2016, according to numbers by the state Department of Health. Ben Clapper with Louisiana Right to Life says this is the second year in a row that abortion numbers have dropped. “Every day in Louisiana in 2016, there is one baby that is living that would’ve been aborted in 2015. This is great news for our community.” Nearly 9,000 abortions were performed in 2016 down from 9,300 in 2015 and just over 10,000 abortions reported in 2014. Clapper credits the decrease to more people valuing the life of an unborn child. “I think our culture is continuing to realize through the use of ultrasound and more resources that the unborn child is valuable and should be protected in the womb.”

From what the data is saying, it looks like Clapper’s right with that last quote. Louisiana is statistically trending to less abortions. According to the date, nonwhite women made up about 70% of those getting an abortion in 2016. Horrifically, there were 35 girls under the age of 15 who had an abortion.

Here are Louisiana’s abortion statistics since 2000, courtesy of Louisiana Right To Life citing statistics from the Louisiana Department of Health…

8,972 abortions occurred in 2016*

9,362 abortions occurred in 2015*

10,211 abortions occurred in 2014*

9,977 abortions occurred in 2013

9,225 abortions occurred in 2012

8,955 abortions occurred in 2011

8,870 abortions occurred in 2010

8,167 abortions occurred in 2009

6,816 abortions occurred in 2008

6,833 abortions occurred in 2007

6,204 abortions occurred in 2006

8,860 abortions occurred in 2005

11,330 abortions occurred in 2004

10,642 abortions occurred in 2003

10,451 abortions occurred in 2002

10,932 abortions occurred in 2001

11,384 abortions occurred in 2000 * 2014-2016 Louisiana abortion figures still reported as “preliminary” by the Louisiana Department of Health.

The dip in the abortion totals in the mid 2000’s is directly attributable to the population displacement following Hurricane Katrina, in which a large portion of the demographic base of abortion clients were put out of their homes by the storm. But the numbers are dropping again and not from any such cause; it’s a decline in abortion’s popularity which is happening nationally.

2016 abortion figures are not available nationwide, though a fairly steep decline is occurring. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, which records the numbers nationally, reported 1.06 million abortions in 2011, down from 1.21 million in 2008, a decline of 13 percent.