(AP) — Abortions in Nebraska have fallen to at least a 20-year low following passage of state laws that restrict the practice, but a number of factors could be behind the trend.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says the number dropped to 2,299 last year, a decline of more than 3 percent. The numbers have dropped consistently since 1992, when more than 5,600 abortions were reported.

Nebraska Right to Life executive director Julie Schmit-Albin says part of the decline is likely due to a 2010 Nebraska law that bans abortions starting at 20 weeks into a pregnancy.

University of Nebraska assistant law professor Beth Burkstrand-Reid says the decline could also be due to other factors, including the more effective use of birth control.

TOTAL ABORTIONS BY YEAR

2008: 2,813

2009: 2,551

2010: 2,464

2011: 2,372

2012: 2,229

NUMBER OF ABORTIONS PER 1,000 LIVE BIRTHS:

2008: 103.9

2009: 93.8

2010: 93.9

2011: 90.9

2012: 87.5