Over 13 Million Lives Saved by IVF Worldwide

Recent estimates reveal that over 13 million people globally owe their existence to in vitro fertilization (IVF). This marks the first such assessment of its kind.

Since the pioneering birth of the first ‘test tube’ baby in 1978, the number of children conceived via IVF—part of the broader category known as assisted reproductive technology (ART)—has surged into the millions.

In fact, one ART baby is born every 35 seconds today, with IVF being the most widely used method, wherein an egg is fertilized by sperm outside the body.

To ascertain the total number of babies born using ART technologies since its inception, a global team of researchers gathered health data from 101 different countries.

As of 2018, it was estimated that between 10 and 13 million babies had been born through ART, with preliminary data covering 2018 to 2023 suggesting an additional 3 to 4 million births.

“Each year, we estimate the number of babies delivered in the past year, but this is the first time we’ve systematically applied a consistent methodology to estimate the total number born worldwide,” says lead researcher Georgina Chambers, an epidemiologist at the University of New South Wales.

While the estimates aren’t flawless, Chambers and her team believe they represent “a reasonable and sound approximation” based on the most reliable data available.

The data originates from the International Committee Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART), where Chambers serves as the data custodian.

Back in the early 1980s, Australia became the world’s first country to establish an IVF registry. Although several high-income nations have since done the same, some—like Singapore—either do not have formal registries or face delays, as is the case in China.

Moreover, even when formal registries are maintained, some regional clinics in countries like the U.S., India, and parts of Africa may not report to ICMART.

In light of these reporting gaps, researchers counted the total number of clinics in each nation and utilized that data to estimate ART rates. They also considered miscarriage rates in instances where only ART pregnancies were documented.

The findings indicate that over the past 40 years, between 9.4 million and 12.4 million infants from 101 countries have been born through reproductive technology, with a notable spike occurring around the beginning of the 21st century.

Europe leads with 3.6 to 4.5 million IVF infants, followed by Asia at 3 to 4 million and North America with 1.4 to 1.6 million.

In the last 20 years, IVF technology has markedly advanced, offering more affordable, safer, and increasingly successful pathways to parenthood. While success rates vary, recent data from the UK indicates that the average pregnancy rate using frozen embryos has risen from 7% in the 1990s to 36% in 2021.

It’s also interesting to note that the primary approach today no longer involves transferring multiple fertilized eggs to enhance pregnancy chances. Consequently, the rate of IVF twins and triplets has significantly declined.

“Currently, over 93% of IVF cycles involve the transfer of a single embryo, which has reduced the multiple birth rate to below 3%,” Chambers notes.

“Most IVF babies in Australia are now conceived from frozen embryos,” she adds.

Chambers also expresses hope that as more children are born through IVF, access to safe and high-quality care will progressively become more equitable and rooted in human rights worldwide.

This study has been published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.