In case you were beginning to doubt the socioeconomic inequality in the United States, look no further than the abortion rates. While national abortion rates are at their lowest levels since 1973, the abortion rates in the city of Detroit, Mich. have been increasing quite drastically—increasing by approximately 10 percent in the past decade. 

In 2012, 31 percent of all Detroit pregnancies ended in abortion. "We’re seeing a picture that looks more like some Third World country than someplace in the United States," Dr. Susan Schoole told the Detroit News.

In the city there were 37.9 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44, compared to 11 abortions per 1,000 women throughout the state of Michigan. 

Yet, national studies suggest that this is no mere coincidence; rather, abortion rates are highly correlated to income levels, with the greatest number of abortions in areas affected by the greatest poverty. Greater access to healthcare and increased education are likely to see serious reductions in the number of abortions. 

“Both routine primary care and family planning-specific primary care are not available in Detroit,” said Schoole. “To the extent that a significant proportion of those (pregnancies) are unplanned, it leads to all these decision-making options of which abortion is one lousy choice.”

Read about the abortion rates in California here.

Contact Deputy Editor Sara Newman here. Follow her on Twitter here.