Japan’s IVF Births from Treatment in 2023 Hit Record High

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:20 JST, August 30, 2025

The number of children born via in vitro fertilization conducted in 2023 reached a record 85,048, up by 7,842 from the previous year, according to the latest data released by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) on Friday.

The figure is equivalent to about one in every eight children in this country.

The number of babies born via IVF in Japan has totaled 1,003,360 since 1983, when the first IVF baby was born.

IVF is a type of infertility treatment in which an egg and sperm are fertilized outside the body and then transferred back into the uterus. The treatment has been covered by the nation’s public health insurance program since 2022.

The number of IVF treatment procedures totaled 561,664 in 2023, up by 18,034 from the previous year. By age, the highest number of procedures in 2023 were by women at the ages of 39 and 42, at 46,181 and 45,572, respectively, according to the JSOG.

Since insurance coverage has requirements regarding age and the number of treatment procedures, it is believed that more women sought treatment with these factors in mind.

In terms of pregnancy in 2022, the rate was below 50% for women ages 26 and older. In 2023, it exceeded 50% for women ages 26 through 31. This suggests that more women may have started the treatment at a younger age.