10% of births in Spain now come from assisted reproduction techniques.

Assisted reproduction techniques continue to establish themselves as a key pillar of reproductive and demographic health in Spain. According to the latest data from the National Registry of Activity-SEF Registry, about 10% of the children born in Spain in the last quarter of 2023 and the first months of 2024 were born thanks to assisted reproduction treatments.

In total, public and private centers performed 168,372 cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and 30,464 artificial inseminations, resulting in the birth of 39,555 children, maintaining stable figures compared to the previous year.

"Birth rates in our environment have fallen to historical lows and the delay in motherhood, often conditioned by social and economic factors, has increased involuntary sterility," explained Dr. Elisa Gil, a gynecologist at IVI Zaragoza and Secretary of the SEF, who emphasized that "almost 40,000 children have come into the world thanks to assisted reproduction techniques, which represents not only the happiness of thousands of families but also a future boost for the economy and the sustainability of the welfare system."

The report also highlights the increasing customization of treatments, with about 40% of the cycles being segmented to improve safety and clinical outcomes. In this context, the use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGT) continues to rise and now accounts for 13.2% of all reported cycles, especially in older women, where it significantly improves birth rates and reduces the risk of miscarriage.

"We are facing a paradigm shift," Gil noted. "Women are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of age in fertility and are planning their motherhood responsibly. Genetics today allows us to better select embryos and increase the chances of a healthy baby at home."

Another significant piece of data from the registry is the increase in fertility preservation, with a 13% rise compared to the previous year. In total, 7,158 women froze their eggs for social reasons, in a context where 65,805 oocytes were vitrified, reflecting a profound change in how women approach their reproductive project. This highlights the desire to delay motherhood, turning egg freezing into a fundamental resource for women who wish to plan motherhood more flexibly, especially in a society that increasingly postpones the age at which to have children.

Additionally, the clinical pregnancy rates after using the oocytes have been promising, reaching clinical pregnancy rates of 63%, which underscores the importance of age in fertility and the need for preservations to be done at the right time. "Fertility preservation is a safe technique and a great opportunity for women to decide when to become mothers, with less physical and emotional wear," states Dr. Gil.

They highlight that the prestige of Spanish reproductive medicine, along with a favorable legal framework and high success rates, continues to attract international patients, especially from France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany.