What share of births involve assisted reproductive technologies like IVF?

In 1978, Louise Brown became the first baby born through in vitro fertilization (IVF). In this technique, eggs are fertilized with sperm in a lab before the resulting embryos are transferred to the uterus.

Assisted reproductive technologies have advanced further and now become widely available.

These innovations have helped many people who might otherwise struggle to conceive — supporting individuals and couples facing infertility, allowing older parents to preserve fertility, and enabling same-sex couples to have children.

The chart shows the share of births in 2019 that involved assisted reproductive technologies across various European countries. This can include cross-border treatment.

Spain had the highest share, with nearly 9% of births resulting from assisted reproductive technology, followed by Greece, Denmark, and Czechia. In contrast, countries like Ireland, Lithuania, Serbia, and Turkey had much lower rates, with less than 2% of all births.