ART Success Rates

Fertility clinics in the U.S. report and verify data on the assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles started and carried out in their clinics, and the outcomes of these cycles, during each calendar year.  ART includes all fertility treatments in which either eggs or embryos are handled.  The main type of ART is in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF involves extracting a woman’s eggs, fertilizing the eggs in the laboratory, and then transferring the resulting embryos into the woman’s uterus through the cervix.

These ART data are a rich source of information that can give potential ART users an idea of their average chances of success per ART cycle or ART transfer.  Average chances, however, do not necessarily apply to an individual or couple.  ART success rates vary in the context of patient and treatment characteristics, such as age, infertility diagnosis, number of embryos transferred, type of ART procedure, use of techniques such as ICSI, and history of previous births, miscarriages, and ART cycles. People considering ART should consult a physician to discuss their treatment options.

Based on CDC’s 2021 Fertility Clinic Success Rates Report, approximately 238,126 patients had 413,776 ART cycles performed at 453 reporting clinics in the United States during 2021, resulting in 91,906 live births (deliveries of one or more living infants) and 97,128 live born infants. Of the 413,776 ART cycles performed in 2021, 167,689 were egg or embryo banking cycles in which all resulting eggs or embryos were frozen for future use. Although the use of ART is still relatively rare as compared to the potential demand, its use has more than doubled over the past decade. Approximately 2.3% of all infants born in the United States every year are conceived using ART.