(The Center Square) – Arizona ranked among the top 10 of pro-life states for next year, according to a new report.
Americans United for Life recently released its list of the top pro-life states in America, ranking Arizona seventh.
The pro-life nonprofit determined rankings by looking at state laws regarding abortion, pre-born children, assisted suicide, end-of-life care and health care rights of conscience.
Arizona “has consistently ranked among the top pro-life states on the Americans United for Life list, largely due to its strong history of pro-life legislation,” Sarah Zagorski, the nonprofit’s senior director of public relations and communication, told The Center Square.
However, Zagorski noted the state’s ranking is soon to change after passing a ballot initiative last year that guaranteed the right to abortion in Arizona’s constitution.
“While the recently passed abortion constitutional amendment will likely affect this standing, its full impact was not reflected in the report since the consequences have not yet fully materialized,” she said.
Zagorski highlighted Missouri as an example of a state that had previously been ranked high on its pro-life list, but ended up dropping in the rankings due to the state passing an abortion constitutional amendment.
Missouri dropped from 10th in the 2025 rankings to 22nd in the 2026 rankings.
“A similar outcome can reasonably be expected for Arizona in future reports,” she said.
On end-of-life issues, Zagorski said Arizona “prohibits physician-assisted suicide, which aligns with pro-life principles.”
But she said Arizona doesn’t have other protective measures found in other states, such as the “Life-Sustaining Care Act or a Patient Non-Discrimination Act that safeguards individuals from being denied care based on age or disability.”
Going forward, Zagorski said Arizona could “consider a ballot initiative to counter the previous measure and institute pro-life protections” to stop “future negative outcomes for unborn babies and their mothers.”
“While there is definitely still a strong pro-life presence in the grassroots pro-life community, more work must be done to hold public officials accountable in protecting the right to life,” she added.
