Abortion rates in the US have fallen steadily since 1981 

In 2016, they reached an historic record low since the 1973 Roe v Wade decision 

That year, 623,471 medical and surgical abortions were performed, a 2% decline from the previous year, the CDC reported Wednesday 

Experts say the decline is likely driven by adoption of longer acting birth control  

Abortion rates continue fall in the US, decreasing by nearly a quarter in less than a decade, new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data reveal. 

In 2016, a total of 623,471 abortions were performed in the US, declining two percent from the previous year. 

The report authors dubbed the number, rate and ratio of abortions to live births 'historic lows.'