The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is out with its newest abortion surveillance report. This is the top line:

A total of 664,435 abortions were reported to CDC for 2013. Of these abortions, 98.2% were from the 47 reporting areas that provided data every year during 2004–2013. Among these 47 reporting areas, the abortion rate for 2013 was 12.5 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, and the abortion ratio was 200 abortions per 1,000 live births. From 2012 to 2013, the total number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions decreased 5%. From 2004 to 2013, the total number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions decreased 20%, 21%, and 17%, respectively. In 2013, all three measures reached their lowest level for the entire period of analysis (2004–2013).

As horrible as the thought of more than 664,435 children being torn apart in utero for no greater reason than personal convenience is, there is a bright spot.

The number and rate of abortions tallied by federal authorities have fallen to their lowest level in decades, according to new data released Wednesday.

The latest report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, incorporating data from 47 states, said the abortion rate for 2013 was 12.5 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years. That’s half the rate recorded in 1980.

The last time the CDC recorded a lower rate was 1971, two years before a Supreme Court ruling extending abortion rights nationwide.

And the rate is cratering across all demographic groups. Keep in mind that this data is from 2013 and does not comprise the period of the #WeSellBabyParts scandal involving Planned Parenthood and other infanticide cartels.

This is report, when viewed with other recent reports that indicate marriage rates are increasing and divorce rates are falling, gives one hope this Advent season that the profound sickness and evil that has been normalized in our society may be losing ground.

What is the second thing you should be thankful for? RedState. Why? Because without RedState the Obama administration would have stopped reporting on abortion statistics. Back in 2010 we noted that the annual abortion surveillance report hadn’t been published. We waited. And we waited. And, finally, in February we reported on the administration killing a report that had been produced at the same time for over 40 years. Shame succeeded where integrity and professionalism had failed. After coming up with an assortment of bullsh** excuses and intially saying the report would not be published, CDC, after a brief period of bureaucratic panic, caved and did the right thing. Were in not for RedState, odds are you couldn’t even discuss abortion statistics because they wouldn’t exist.

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