More Than 13 Million Babies Born Through Assisted Reproduction Worldwide
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Silvana Chedid on August 13, 2026
Somewhere between roughly 9.8 million and 13 million children have been born worldwide through in vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies since the birth of the first IVF baby in 1978, according to a 2025 analysis published in Fertility and Sterility. The range reflects how difficult global counting is, but the direction is unmistakable: assisted reproduction has gone from an experimental procedure to a routine part of family building for millions of people.
At Chedid Grieco, we have watched that global growth from inside our own São Paulo laboratory, where we have supported thousands of births since 1995. The numbers behind assisted reproduction are worth understanding, not as an abstract statistic, but as context for how far in vitro fertilization has come and how many families have walked the same path you may be considering now.
How Researchers Estimate Global ART Births
Counting every baby ever born through assisted reproductive technology (ART) worldwide is harder than it sounds. Not every country reports IVF data consistently, some countries report only a subset of procedures, and historical records from the earliest decades of the technology are incomplete. Researchers build estimates using clinic and registry data reported to bodies such as the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies, then extrapolate for gaps in reporting.
Earlier estimates, including figures presented at the ESHRE annual congress in Barcelona in 2018, put the worldwide total at roughly 8 million babies born through assisted reproduction since Louise Brown’s birth in 1978. That figure was widely cited for years afterward, but it was based on data available at the time and has since been revised upward as more countries improved their reporting and researchers refined their models.
Updated Global Estimates: Nearly 13 Million Babies Born Through ART
A more recent analysis published in Fertility and Sterility in 2025 narrowed the worldwide estimate considerably. Looking at births from 1978 through 2018, the researchers calculated a lower-bound estimate of roughly 9.83 million and an upper-bound estimate of about 13.02 million children born through ART globally. Separate reporting on the same research from the University of New South Wales described the current best estimate as more than 13 million ART births worldwide, reflecting continued growth in the years since the original 2018 data cutoff.
Some countries rely on assisted reproduction far more heavily than others. According to an analysis from Our World in Data, Spain has the highest share of ART births of any country tracked, with nearly 9 percent of all births resulting from assisted reproductive technology, followed by Greece, Denmark, and Czechia. The variation reflects differences in insurance coverage, clinic access, and how each country’s healthcare system treats infertility.
IVF Births in the United States Are at an All-Time High
The growth is not just a global trend. In the United States, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine reported that 100,158 babies were born through IVF, the first time the annual number of IVF births in the country surpassed 100,000 in a single year. Other research has similarly found that roughly 1 in every 42 babies born in the United States today is conceived through assisted reproductive technology, a dramatic shift from the handful of births reported in the years immediately following 1978.
What This Growth Means for Patients Today
The rising numbers reflect decades of clinical refinement, not just rising demand. Hormonal stimulation protocols, embryo grading, genetic screening, and laboratory techniques have all improved substantially since the earliest days of IVF, which our overview of Louise Brown and the history of the first IVF baby covers in more detail. For patients today, that history translates into treatment protocols built on millions of prior cycles rather than a handful of early attempts.
At Chedid Grieco, our own experience mirrors that broader trajectory. Our FDA-licensed, New York State Department of Health-licensed laboratory in São Paulo performs more than 1,200 cycles per year, and we bring nearly three decades of accumulated clinical data to every assisted reproduction consultation we conduct.
Frequently Asked Questions About Global IVF and ART Birth Statistics
How many babies have been born through IVF worldwide?
A 2025 analysis published in Fertility and Sterility estimated between roughly 9.83 million and 13.02 million children were born worldwide through assisted reproductive technology from 1978 through 2018, with the total continuing to grow each year since.
Why do estimates of global IVF births vary so much?
Not every country reports IVF and ART data consistently or completely, so researchers must extrapolate for gaps in reporting. As more countries improve their registries and researchers refine their models, published estimates get revised, usually upward.
How many babies are born through IVF in the United States each year?
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine reported that 100,158 babies were born through IVF, marking the first time annual US IVF births surpassed 100,000. Roughly 1 in every 42 babies born in the United States is now conceived through assisted reproductive technology.
Which countries rely most heavily on assisted reproduction?
Spain has the highest share of ART-conceived births among countries tracked by Our World in Data, at nearly 9 percent of all births, followed by Greece, Denmark, and Czechia, largely reflecting differences in insurance coverage and clinic access.
Considering Fertility Treatment? Contact Chedid Grieco
The growth in global IVF births reflects a technology that has been refined over nearly five decades and proven safe and effective across millions of families. Our team brings that same depth of clinical experience to every patient who walks through our doors, whether you are just beginning to explore your options or ready to start treatment.
Reach out through our contact form to schedule a consultation and learn how assisted reproduction could work for your family.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Director, Chedid Grieco Reproductive Medicine Laboratory
Dr. Silvana Chedid has led the Chedid Grieco Reproductive Medicine Laboratory in São Paulo since 1995 and directs the Center for Pelvic Endoscopy and Human Reproduction at Hospital Beneficência Portuguesa. She is a member of the American and European Human Reproduction Societies.
