Julia Chain
HFEA Chair
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is helping more people start and grow their families than ever, with the number of fertility patients tripling in the last three decades.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has been collecting data for decades and has seen the fertility sector continue to grow and evolve. With increasing patient numbers and a variety of family types, more people are turning to fertility treatment to start or grow their families.
What the data says about IVF use
The Office for National Statistics’ birth rates for 20241 showed the UK had reached a record low for the third-year running, with our data from the same year finding that 53,000 patients underwent IVF, with more than 21,000 babies born, accounting for roughly one child in every classroom.2
Ensuring fair and equitable access to treatment has never been more important
Compared to previous years, the number of fertility patients has tripled, and IVF births have more than doubled — making up more than 3% of all UK births, compared to less than 1.5% 20 years ago.2 Meanwhile, looking at family types, although most IVF treatments continue to be given to opposite-sex couples (89%), the proportion of treatments among female same-sex couples and single patients has more than doubled from 2012 to 2022.3
Treatment disparities persist
Despite patient numbers increasing, NHS-funded IVF cycles have continued to decline, from 35% in 2019 to 28% in 2024,2 and single patients and female same-sex couples are three times less likely to receive funding.3 We also continue to see disparities when it comes to birth rates and age when starting treatment.
Black and Asian patients aged 18-37 continue to have lower IVF birth rates than those from White and Mixed ethnic backgrounds, with the biggest difference showing White patients having a birth rate above 35% per embryo transferred (36%) and Black and Asian patients having a birth rate of just 30% per embryo transferred.2
Advocating for equitable fertility access
The UK has long been a pioneer in fertility treatment, and the sector has grown significantly. Ensuring fair and equitable access to treatment has never been more important, and we will continue to speak up for patients and work with the sector to improve fertility services for those longing for a family.
[1] Office for National Statistics, 2024. Births in England and Wales: 2024. tinyurl.com/3asrbryj.
[2] HFEA, 2026. Fertility treatment 2024: trends and figures. tinyurl.com/yeyyhbjw.
[3] HFEA, 2024. Family formations in fertility treatment 2022. tinyurl.com/28n7u6ud.
