World-First Estimate Shows Over 13 Million Babies Born Through Assisted Reproduction

The first study to conduct a thorough global estimate of the number of children born via assisted reproductive technology (ART), like in vitro fertilization (IVF), has estimated that between 9.8 million to just over 13 million babies have been born this way since the tech first came into use in 1978.

ART consists of any fertility treatments or procedures that include the handling of either eggs and sperm or embryos outside of the body (known as in vitro), specifically for the purpose of achieving a pregnancy. The most common and well-known type is IVF, but there are many other technologies that come under the ART umbrella, including intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), and embryo freezing. 

The very first baby to be born using this kind of technology was Louise Brown, who was born with the help of IVF in July 1978. Despite conflicting views over such procedures, ART has continued to be used and developed into the present – but until now, there’s never been a truly comprehensive assessment of how many babies across the world have been born using ART.

“Every year we estimate how many babies were born in the previous 12 months – but we’ve never actually gone back and used a consistent methodology and extrapolation for missing data to estimate the total number of babies born in the world,” said Professor Georgina Chambers, director of the University of New South Wales’ National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit (NPESU), in a statement.

Chambers is one of the lead authors of a study that aimed to fill those gaps. To do so, Chambers and the research team analyzed data in reports from the International Committee Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART), which consisted of 1,243 data submissions from 101 different countries between 1978 to 2018. Where there were gaps in reporting – say, a country never reported – estimates were taken from regional experts.

Using this data, the researchers estimated that between 9.8 million to a little over 13 million babies were born from ART between 1978 to 2018, having grown “exponentially” over time, Chambers said.

Fast forward to today, and the number may be even higher. "Preliminary global data suggests an additional 3–4 million infants were born past the study’s cutoff in 2018,” Chambers added. “This brings the total in 2024 to 13–17 million infants.”

Data analysis also highlighted differences in access to ART across different parts of the globe, with the highest use in northern Europe and countries such as Israel, Australia, and New Zealand, and lowest use seen in Africa, South America, and some parts of Asia – despite the prevalence of infertility being similar across countries and regions. 

Professor David Adamson, Chair of ICMART and study author, told IFLScience there are multiple reasons for lower use in these particular regions, including “cultural, religious, [and] legal opposition, gender inequality, [and a] lack of support [for] reproductive rights.” There are other practical elements too, with a lack of affordability and a small number of clinics in inaccessible areas also playing a role.

By addressing these factors, and with the introduction of measures like increased government funding and a focus on lowering costs, Adamson predicts we could see continued increased utilization of ART. “Societies should support fertility care and ART to [the] same level as other medical services,” he stated.

It may take time, but it’s worth a short – the figures from the study demonstrate just how much of an impact ART can have. “ART has helped millions have the families they want,” said Adamson, adding that it “has helped create more equitable opportunities for family formation.”

“As more babies are born through IVF, we hope access to safe, high quality care will become more equitable – and based on human rights – across the world,” Chambers concluded in the statement.