Infertility affects 12 percent of women aged 15 to 49 worldwide. Ovulation markers return within 12 weeks for 44 percent of women after they stop hormonal contraception. Median time to ovulation after combined oral contraceptives ends at 15 days, though conception after depot medroxyprogesterone acetate can require more than 9 months.
Key Takeaways
- 12% of women aged 15–49 worldwide (about 1 in 8) have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, indicating infertility prevalence
- 48.5 million couples worldwide experience infertility, according to an estimate compiled in 2012
- 10%–15% of couples worldwide are affected by infertility
- 44% of women who stopped using hormonal contraception reported having resumed ovulation-related fertility markers within 12 weeks in a systematic review of observational studies
- median time to return to ovulation after discontinuing combined oral contraceptives was 15 days in a systematic review of hormonal contraception discontinuation
- in a cohort study, 6 months after stopping the levonorgestrel IUD, 87% of women had resumed normal fertility markers (ovarian activity) when followed prospectively
- USD 4.2 billion was the global value of the female contraception market in 2019 (a benchmark used in industry analyses that includes hormonal and non-hormonal contraception)
- USD 1.8 billion global value was reported for the assisted reproductive technology (ART) market segment in 2019 in an industry report (clinics and treatment services)
- USD 19.0 billion global infertility treatment market size in 2022 (forecast base year) from a market intelligence report
- In 2021, there were 2.1 million cycles of IVF performed in the EU (estimate from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, ESHRE)
- In the US, 39% of women aged 15–49 who are trying to conceive but have infertility used reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists (survey estimate)
- In the same cohort evidence, pregnancy rates within 12 months after stopping DMPA were 49% (observational follow-up)
- In a pooled analysis of observational studies, women discontinuing LNG-IUD had a 1-year pregnancy rate of 83% after removal (fertility resumption measure)
- 12% of women aged 20–24 worldwide have given birth by age 18 (2019 global estimate).
- 47% of women in the world do not receive the minimum required level of sexual and reproductive health services (2022–2023 gap estimate used in the Lancet Global Health summary evidence).
About 12% of women worldwide face infertility, and fertility often returns within months after stopping contraception.
Related reading
01 · Category
Epidemiology5 stats
01
12% of women aged 15–49 worldwide (about 1 in 8) have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, indicating infertility prevalence
02
48.5 million couples worldwide experience infertility, according to an estimate compiled in 2012
03
10%–15% of couples worldwide are affected by infertility
04
20%–35% of infertility cases are attributed to female factors (as commonly cited in WHO-referenced reproductive health reviews)
05
Nowcasts from the 2019 study estimate that infertility affects 48 million couples globally, with a modeled increase from 1990 estimates
Interpretation
Epidemiology Interpretation
Epidemiology data show that infertility is a widespread global reproductive health issue affecting roughly 10% to 15% of couples worldwide, which translates to about 48 million couples in recent estimates and reflects a modeled rise from 1990.
02 · Category
Contraceptive Effects5 stats
01
44% of women who stopped using hormonal contraception reported having resumed ovulation-related fertility markers within 12 weeks in a systematic review of observational studies
02
median time to return to ovulation after discontinuing combined oral contraceptives was 15 days in a systematic review of hormonal contraception discontinuation
03
in a cohort study, 6 months after stopping the levonorgestrel IUD, 87% of women had resumed normal fertility markers (ovarian activity) when followed prospectively
04
after discontinuing depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), median time to conception can extend beyond 9 months, especially after long-term use, based on large cohort follow-up
05
1 in 5 women experience difficulty conceiving within 1 year of trying when fertility issues exist, based on standard infertility definitions and population cohorts
Interpretation
Contraceptive Effects Interpretation
Across contraceptive methods, fertility tends to rebound fairly quickly, with about 44% resuming ovulation related fertility markers within 12 weeks after stopping hormonal contraception and median return to ovulation at 15 days after combined oral contraceptives, though slower recovery is possible after DMPA where time to conception may extend beyond 9 months.
03 · Category
Market Size12 stats
01
USD 4.2 billion was the global value of the female contraception market in 2019 (a benchmark used in industry analyses that includes hormonal and non-hormonal contraception)
02
USD 1.8 billion global value was reported for the assisted reproductive technology (ART) market segment in 2019 in an industry report (clinics and treatment services)
03
USD 19.0 billion global infertility treatment market size in 2022 (forecast base year) from a market intelligence report
04
USD 7.4 billion global infertility drugs market size in 2023 from a market research report (pharmaceutical spend for infertility)
05
USD 2.6 billion global fertility and infertility testing market size in 2023 from a market research report
06
USD 15.4 billion global contraceptive drugs market in 2021 from a published market report (pharmaceutical contraception)
07
USD 7.8 billion global contraceptive implants market size in 2023 from an industry report
08
USD 19.5 billion global family planning market projected by 2024 in an industry forecast including contraceptives and services
09
99% of women in the US have access to some form of contraception through healthcare providers (coverage estimate from CDC/US policy context)
10
The global assisted reproductive technologies (ART) market was estimated at USD 3.9 billion in 2024 (industry report estimate).
11
USD 3.2 billion global spend on infertility drugs was reported for 2022 (industry estimate).
12
USD 5.4 billion global market size for reproductive health & family planning services was projected for 2024 (industry forecast figure).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size data shows strong and growing investment across the birth control and infertility space, with global spending reaching USD 19.0 billion for infertility treatment in 2022 and expanding further through related segments such as USD 7.4 billion in infertility drugs in 2023 and USD 15.4 billion in contraceptive drugs in 2021.
04 · Category
Industry Trends1 stats
01
In 2021, there were 2.1 million cycles of IVF performed in the EU (estimate from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, ESHRE)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends show that in 2021 the EU performed an estimated 2.1 million IVF cycles, underscoring strong and continuing demand for fertility treatment services.
More related reading
05 · Category
Usage & Outcomes9 stats
01
In the US, 39% of women aged 15–49 who are trying to conceive but have infertility used reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists (survey estimate)
02
In the same cohort evidence, pregnancy rates within 12 months after stopping DMPA were 49% (observational follow-up)
03
In a pooled analysis of observational studies, women discontinuing LNG-IUD had a 1-year pregnancy rate of 83% after removal (fertility resumption measure)
04
In the WHO multicountry study, 78% of women wanting to become pregnant after discontinuation of modern contraception had achieved pregnancy within 12 months
05
In an RCT/meta-analysis comparing different contraception discontinuation outcomes, differences in time-to-pregnancy between reversible methods were small; median time was within 1–2 cycles for most methods
06
In the US, long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) adoption among women at risk of unintended pregnancy was 14.8% in 2012, growing to 21.0% by 2016 in a national trend analysis
07
In a national cohort analysis, LARC continuation at 12 months was 71% for IUD and 69% for implants
08
Implant discontinuation due to side effects occurred in 25% of users within 12 months in a prospective cohort study
09
IUD discontinuation due to bleeding or pain occurred in 10% of users within 12 months in a systematic review of observational studies
Interpretation
Usage & Outcomes Interpretation
Across the Usage and Outcomes category, the majority of women who discontinue modern or long acting methods go on to conceive within a year, with pregnancy rates ranging from 49% after stopping DMPA to 78% or higher in large studies and pooled analyses, while only 14.8% used LARC in 2012.
06 · Category
Demographic Need2 stats
01
12% of women aged 20–24 worldwide have given birth by age 18 (2019 global estimate).
02
47% of women in the world do not receive the minimum required level of sexual and reproductive health services (2022–2023 gap estimate used in the Lancet Global Health summary evidence).
Interpretation
Demographic Need Interpretation
From a demographic need perspective, a significant 12% of women aged 20–24 have already given birth by age 18 worldwide while nearly half at 47% lack the minimum level of sexual and reproductive health services, signaling how unmet access continues to drive early childbearing.
07 · Category
Clinical Outcomes1 stats
01
In European reporting, the majority of IVF cycles are reported as involving embryo transfer, with increasing adoption of single embryo transfer; 2019 European ART outcomes reported single embryo transfer as a majority practice in several countries (EAA/ESHRE IVF surveillance summary for 2019).
Interpretation
Clinical Outcomes Interpretation
In European reporting, the majority of IVF cycles include embryo transfer and this share is rising through greater adoption of single embryo transfer, indicating improving clinical outcomes within the Clinical Outcomes frame.
report visual · Comparison
Infertility prevalence and global scale
A sizable share of women and couples experience difficulty conceiving or staying pregnant, translating to tens of millions worldwide.
48.5 million couples worldwide experience infertility, according to an estimate compiled in 201248.5
12% of women aged 15–49 worldwide (about 1 in 8) have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, indicating infert
12%
10%–15% of couples worldwide are affected by infertility
10%
source-verifiedpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · who.int2012
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Birth Control Infertility Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/birth-control-infertility-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Birth Control Infertility Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/birth-control-infertility-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Birth Control Infertility Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/birth-control-infertility-statistics.
Sources & references
35 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)