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Infertility statistics 2025: How many couples are affected by infertility?

Are rates of infertility increasing?
Leandra Beabout
By | Updated on Jan. 29, 2025 Medically reviewed by Marissa Walsh, Pharm.D., BCPS-AQ ID & Josephine Bawab, Pharm.D.
Infertility statistics: Is infertility becoming an epidemic?

Key takeaways

  • Approximately 1 in 6 people have experienced infertility at some point in their lives. 

  • Women and men are equally likely to experience fertility issues.

  • The risk of infertility increases with age.

  • Infertility has several possible causes, including hormone imbalances, ovulation disorders, uterine fibroids, and testicular dysfunction. 

  • In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common assisted reproductive technology (ART) form of infertility treatment. Other treatments include medications to treat the underlying cause of infertility.

In this article:

Infertility can be incredibly difficult for individuals and couples. It is relatively common and affects both men and women. Let’s look at some infertility statistics to better understand what it is and how it impacts people.    

What is infertility?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines infertility as not being able to get pregnant after having regular unprotected sex for at least one year. Infertility can happen to both men and women. It is usually self-diagnosable by an inability to get pregnant. Still, a healthcare provider can help you determine whether an underlying medical condition, such as hormone imbalance, pelvic inflammatory disease, or low sperm count, is predisposing you toward being infertile. 

Doctors run many different kinds of tests to help determine what might be causing fertility problems for an individual or couple. The diagnostic process may include blood samples, imaging tests (such as transvaginal ultrasound), and semen analysis, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). 

What is secondary infertility?

Secondary infertility refers to when a person who has previously given birth is unable to get pregnant after trying for a year. Like primary infertility, secondary infertility is very common. 

The good news is that infertility treatments are continually improving. Many people struggling with primary or secondary infertility are eventually able to conceive successfully.  

How common is infertility?

  • Approximately 1 in 6 people have experienced infertility at some point in their lives. 
  • An estimated 17.5% of people worldwide have experienced infertility.

Source: WHO, 2023 

Infertility statistics worldwide

  • The top 16 countries with the highest total fertility rate are in Africa. (Central Intelligence Agency, 2024)
  • The estimated lifetime prevalence of infertility is highest (23.2%) in the Western Pacific Region. (WHO, 2023)
  • The estimated lifetime prevalence of infertility is the lowest (10.7%) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. (WHO, 2023)
  • Lifetime infertility prevalence is 17.8% in high-income countries. (WHO, 2023)
  • Lifetime infertility prevalence is 16.5% in low- and middle-income countries. (WHO, 2023)

Infertility statistics in the United States

  • The U.S. total fertility rate is 1.84 children born per woman. (Central Intelligence Agency, 2024)
  • About 13.4% of women of reproductive age (15–49 years of age) had impaired fertility between 2015 and 2019. (National Health Statistics Reports, 2024)
  • About 85% of couples conceive in their first year of trying. (UCLA Health)
  • Only 7% of couples conceive in their second year of trying. (UCLA Health)

Infertility statistics by sex

  • An estimated 13.4% of women ages 15–49 in the United States had some form of impaired fertility between 2015 and 2019. (National Health Statistics Reports, 2024)
  • An estimated 11.4% of men ages 15–49 in the United States had some form of infertility between 2015 and 2019. (National Health Statistics Reports, 2024)
  • In about one-third of infertile couples, the problem is with the male, and in another one-third of infertile couples, the problem is with the female. In the last third of infertile couples, the problem either can’t be identified or could be with both the male and female in the couple. (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Infertility statistics by age

“Typically, my infertility patients are as young as their early 20s and as old as their mid to late 40s,” says Sara Mucowski, MD, a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist at Dallas IVF.

  • Couples with a male partner who is 40 years of age or older are more likely to have difficulty conceiving. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2024)
  • Female fertility begins to decline at 30 years of age. (ACOG, 2023)
  • About 1 in 10 women will get pregnant per menstrual cycle by 40 years of age. (ACOG, 2024)

Infertility statistics by race and ethnicity

  • Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander women had the highest rate of fertility in the United States in 2022.
  • Asian women had the lowest rate of fertility in the United States in 2022, followed by American Indian and Alaska Native women. 

Source: Statista, 2024

Common infertility complications

Research shows that infertility can negatively impact couples’ psychological, financial, and relationship health. Some people who want to start a family and are unable to conceive find that infertility complications impact their overall quality of life.

IVF statistics

  • In 2021, 2.3% of all infants born in the United States were conceived through the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART), 99% of which was IVF. 
  • In 2021, the states with the most births using ART were California, New York, and Texas. 
  • An estimated 1 in 8 women of reproductive age have received infertility services like IVF at least once in their lifetime.

SOURCE: Department of Health and Human Services, 2024

The cost of infertility treatment

  • A single cycle of IVF can cost $15,000–$30,000. (Department of Health and Human Services, 2024)
  • The average number of cycles needed to become pregnant from IVF is 2.5. (Department of Health and Human Services, 2024)
  • As of 2024, 19 states require insurance coverage for infertility treatment. (RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, 2024) 

Causes of infertility

Various factors may cause infertility. In some cases, the cause is unknown. The causes also vary by sex.

What causes infertility in women?

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), female infertility is often due to menstrual cycle irregularities that may be caused by ovulation disorders, including:

Female infertility can also be caused by uterine or cervical abnormalities, fallopian tube damage, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, early menopause, pelvic scar tissue, and even cancer treatment or severe psychological distress. 

“Ovulatory dysfunction is quite common, especially with the difficulties we face as a society with increasing weight. Carrying excess weight often affects ovulating function,” says Jessica Scotchie, OB/GYN, the co-founder of Tennessee Reproductive Medicine, who’s double board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI). 

Of course, there are also other reasons for infertility in women. The NICHD lists the following causes:

  • Structural problems of the reproductive system
  • Infections
  • Failure of an egg to mature properly
  • Implantation failure
  • Endometriosis
  • Uterine fibroids
  • Autoimmune disorders

And then there’s age: “Women are also starting their families at older ages on average (many are waiting until age 30, whereas prior generations generally started families between age 20-25). Starting a family at an older age can cause egg quality and ovarian dysfunction factors to play a large part in infertility,” says Dr. Scotchie.

What causes infertility in men?

Male infertility is most often caused by testicles that aren’t working correctly, according to the NICHD. For instance, varicocele is a condition where the veins on a man’s testicles are too large, causing them to heat up and affect sperm count and shape. 

The quality and quantity of sperm can also be affected by health conditions like diabetes, genetic defects, and undescended testicles. Even environmental exposure to toxic chemicals or pesticides can affect reproductive health and the quality of sperm. In 15% of male infertility cases, the cause is a complete lack of sperm, according to the NICHD. 

Even if the quality and quantity of sperm are adequate for conception, premature ejaculation or structural problems may impact the sperm’s ability to reach an egg for fertilization.  

Treating infertility

“The good news is, only 10% of the total infertility cases are incurable; those are the complications that fall under the 10% umbrella of infertility cases due to unknown factors,” says Jolene Caufield, the senior adviser at Healthy Howard, a nonprofit organization for healthy living, life coaching, and health care, including sexual health. “The remaining 90% can be treated and managed thanks to medical advancements in the last 30 years. Enter in vitro fertilization (or IVF). This procedure is the most recommended treatment for infertility in both parties.”

IVF, intrauterine insemination (IUI), artificial insemination (AI), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are all ART treatment options that have been very successful at helping people become pregnant. In the last few years, there have been even more improvements, such as pre-implantation genetic screening, to increase the effectiveness of IVF treatment.

In addition to ART and surgical procedures, infertility is often improved with a combination of medications aimed at treating the underlying cause. Common medications used to treat infertility include: 

The future of infertility

According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, by 2050, more than 75% of countries will not have enough births to sustain their population sizes over time. In other words, populations will shrink because more humans will die than be born. Infertility plays a role in this, partly because many couples are waiting to have children later in life. The Pew Research Center reports that an increasing share of U.S. adults say they do not plan to have children. Reasons include a lack of desire for kids, concerns about climate change, and more. 

For couples who do want to have children and are facing infertility, there’s good news: Researchers are continuously looking for new ways to make infertility treatments better, prompting some to predict that IVF may soon be used to conceive up to 10% of all children in several regions. As infertility treatments increase, it is feasible that they will become more accessible or more likely to be covered by insurance. 

Infertility questions and answers  

Are rates of infertility increasing?

Maybe. But with some countries not reporting their birth rates, it is difficult to tell. It also depends on age. In the United States, the general fertility rate decreased by 3% in 2022, reaching a historic low, according to the CDC. Although there was a brief 1% increase from 2020–2021, the rate decreased by 2% annually between 2014 and 2020.

How many couples are infertile?

Approximately 1 in 6 people have experienced infertility at some point in their lives, according to the World Health Organization.

Does infertility increase divorce rates?

Some studies have shown a correlation between infertility and an increased divorce rate.

What can cause infertility in a woman? 

There are many possible causes of infertility in a woman. Factors may include failure to ovulate, hormone imbalance, structure abnormalities, and more. It’s essential to consult a healthcare professional to determine the underlying cause or causes of infertility.

Can infertility be cured?

Some causes of infertility can be overcome to achieve pregnancy. Whether or not someone is able to overcome their infertility depends on their unique circumstances, age, and medical history.

Sources