IVF and IUI pregnancy rates remain stable across Europe, despite an increasing uptake of single embryo transfer: Study
Fewer in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles were reported in Europe in 20202, but clinical pregnancy rates remained stable, according to data presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).
Preliminary data from the ESHRE European IVF Monitoring (EIM) Consortium reveals a steady and progressive rise in the use of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). In 2022, a total of 960,347 ART treatment cycles were reported by 1,371 clinics across 39 European countries, a 15.6% reduction from the 1,137,177 cycles reported in 2021.
Of these 2022 treatment cycles, 137,148 were IVF, 317,415 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), 365,905 frozen embryo transfers (FET), 92,677 preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), and 41,138 oocyte donation (OD) cycles. In addition, data reported 126,185 IUI treatments using partner semen and 42,532 using donor semen. A total of 30,758* fertility preservation interventions, including oocyte, ovarian tissue, semen, and testicular tissue banking, were reported from 14 countries.
Clinical pregnancy rates remained broadly stable between 2021 and 2022. For IVF, the rate per aspiration/thawing was 26.3% in 2021 and 25.8% in 2022, while the rate per transfer was 33.5% and 32.7%, respectively. For ICSI, pregnancy rates per aspiration were 23.9% in 2021 versus 24.0% in 2022, and per transfer were 33.5% versus 32.5%. Pregnancy rates using FET were 37.0% in 2021, compared to 36.6% in 2022.
The use of single embryo transfer continued to increase, rising from 60.5% in 2021 to 62.6% in 2022. Correspondingly, singleton delivery rates improved from 90.4% to 91.5%, while twin deliveries declined from 9.5% to 8.4%. Triplet deliveries remained stable at 0.1%.
Chair of the EIM Consortium, Professor Dr. Diane De Neubourg, stated: “The report confirms the continued high utilisation of ART and IUI across Europe, with over 960,000 treatment cycles reported in 2022 alone. While total reported cycles decreased slightly compared to 2021, clinical pregnancy rates remained stable, and singleton birth rates continued to rise, reflecting growing adoption of single embryo transfer. As the largest dataset on medically assisted reproduction in Europe, the EIM report remains a vital tool for improving transparency, quality assurance, and long-term vigilance in reproductive medicine.”
Professor Dr. Karen Sermon, Chair of ESHRE, added: “This year’s report highlights the importance of consistent, collaborative data collection across Europe. Despite a slight decline in overall treatment cycles in 2022, the stable pregnancy rates and continued uptake of single embryo transfer reflect steady progress in clinical practice. By strengthening standardised reporting, we continue to drive improvements in care quality and outcomes for patients undergoing medically assisted reproduction.”
Data collection and reporting:
The ESHRE EIM report represents the largest data collection on medically assisted reproduction in Europe. Since 1997, ART data aggregated by national registries, clinics, or professional societies have been collected and analysed by the EIM. This year's data, covering treatments from January 1 to December 31, 2022, were provided by national registries or medical associations from 39 European countries.
The authors note in their presentation that the findings should be interpreted with caution, as the methods of data collection and levels of completeness of reported data vary among European countries.
Reference:
IVF and IUI pregnancy rates remain stable across Europe, despite an increasing uptake of single embryo transfer, European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Meeting: ESHRE 41st Annual Meeting.
