Around 434.000 IVF babies born in Germany since 1997

IVF has been regulated by German law since 1990. The IVF Register in Düsseldorf has published new information about how widespread the technology has since become.

German IVF Register releases 2025 figures

Since 1997, around 434.000 babies have been born in Germany using IVF technology. This means that the population of babies born in Germany using IVF is significantly larger than the current populations of Bochum or Wuppertal. Today, in a single class in the average German school, between one and two pupils are IVF babies.

Historically, doctors have transferred multiple embryos to a patient’s womb to increase the chance of a pregnancy, meaning IVF patients were more likely to have twins. According to the register, the rate of multiple births for parents who conceive with the help of IVF has fallen below 10 percent for the first time. 

Nowadays, doctors often only transfer one embryo, since this is considered safer for both the parent and child. In 2017, 22 percent of all IVF births resulted in multiple births, this figure fell to 9,3 percent in 2023.

Popularity of IVF and ICSI unlikely to slow

The register also revealed that both IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are becoming more common in Germany. In 2018, there were 1.129 IVF and ICSI treatments in Germany, compared to 3.177 in 2023 - an increase of more than 50 percent.

This might partially be because, if they do decide to have children, women in Germany are waiting longer to start. According to a 2024 OECD report, in 2000, women in Germany were an average of 28,8 years old when their first child was born, compared to 31,4 years old in 2022. Across the OECD bloc, women are now an average of 30,9 years old when they have their first child.

Worldwide, sperm quality is on the decline. Studies suggest several causes, including damage caused by forever chemicals found in plastics, household medication, food, and air, alongside a poor diet, stress, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles.