Pregnancy at 46 sits within the broader trend of advanced maternal age, where pregnancy risks and care needs shift compared with younger years. This page explains how age can affect outcomes—such as higher risks of twin births and C-sections, plus conditions like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and (with higher maternal age) neural tube defects. It also covers genetic screening such as NIPT and what these changes can mean for planning and costs in the U.S. and beyond.
Key Takeaways
- The average age of mothers giving birth in the United States was 30.8 years in 2022
- Rates of multiple births are higher among older mothers; CDC reports that the share of twins+ among births increases with maternal age (2022 vital statistics)
- In the U.S., C-section rates for mothers aged 50+ were 47.5% in 2022 (CDC NCHS data brief)
- NIPT screening coverage increased to 81% of pregnancies in private insurance plans studied in 2022 (industry utilization study)
- US maternal mortality rate was 36.7 per 100,000 live births for ages 50 and older (2016–2019)
- At advanced maternal age (≥40), risk of gestational diabetes increases; the absolute risk reported for 41–45 years was 2.5× that of 20–29 in large population data (meta-analysis context, 2012)
- Risk of preeclampsia increases with age; pooled relative risk for women aged ≥40 compared with <30 was 1.7 (meta-analysis, 2015)
- A 2018 systematic review estimated that live birth after miscarriage-free clinical pregnancy drops with age, with ~1% probability of live birth from an embryo transfer context at age 44–45 (systematic review synthesis)
- In IVF, the odds of achieving a live birth decline with age; pooled analysis shows a monotonic decline beginning in the late 30s (systematic review, 2019)
- Maternal age is a significant risk factor for neural tube defects; risk rises with age in large registry studies (meta-analysis, 2016)
- In Europe, the proportion of women treated with IVF who are aged 40+ is reported around one-quarter in recent European ART surveillance summaries (ESHRE surveillance, 2020)
- The global fertility services market size was $4.3 billion in 2024 (forecast from a market research firm using public licensing data)
- The global infertility treatment market was $18.9 billion in 2023 (market research estimate)
- The assisted reproductive technology market was valued at $25.0 billion in 2023 (market research estimate)
- A claims study estimated that maternity episode costs increased by ~35% for women aged 45–54 compared with women aged 25–29 (2021)
By 46, many pregnancy risks rise, and medical costs and interventions become more common.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health Risks10 stats
01
US maternal mortality rate was 36.7 per 100,000 live births for ages 50 and older (2016–2019)
02
At advanced maternal age (≥40), risk of gestational diabetes increases; the absolute risk reported for 41–45 years was 2.5× that of 20–29 in large population data (meta-analysis context, 2012)
03
Risk of preeclampsia increases with age; pooled relative risk for women aged ≥40 compared with <30 was 1.7 (meta-analysis, 2015)
04
Risk of Down syndrome at birth for maternal age 35 is about 1 in 350
05
In a U.S. cohort, the rate of placenta accreta increased from 0.03% in ages 25–29 to 0.3% in ages 45–49
06
A 2020 U.S. study reported that women aged 45–54 had higher odds of preeclampsia compared with women aged 20–34
07
Advanced maternal age is associated with higher risk of stillbirth; a 2019 systematic review reports stillbirth risk increases after age 40 (pooled estimates)
08
A 2021 meta-analysis reported that odds of placenta previa increase with maternal age, with elevated risk after age 40 (meta-analysis)
09
A 2019 population study found increased risk of gestational hypertension for mothers aged 45+ compared with 25–29 (registry data)
10
A 2018 systematic review found that the risk of preterm birth increases with maternal age, with higher odds for women ≥40 (systematic review)
Interpretation
Health Risks Interpretation
For Health Risks at age 46 and beyond, the data show a clear age-driven rise in complications, such as preeclampsia with a pooled relative risk of 1.7 for women aged 40 and older and placenta accreta increasing tenfold from 0.03% at ages 25–29 to 0.3% at ages 45–49.
02 · Category
Care Utilization4 stats
01
Rates of multiple births are higher among older mothers; CDC reports that the share of twins+ among births increases with maternal age (2022 vital statistics)
02
In the U.S., C-section rates for mothers aged 50+ were 47.5% in 2022 (CDC NCHS data brief)
03
NIPT screening coverage increased to 81% of pregnancies in private insurance plans studied in 2022 (industry utilization study)
04
In a large Swedish registry, women aged ≥45 had a substantially higher rate of cesarean birth than younger groups; cesarean rates increased with age (registry study, 2018)
Interpretation
Care Utilization Interpretation
Care utilization rises sharply with maternal age, as seen in U.S. C section rates reaching 47.5% for mothers 50+ in 2022 and cesarean rates climbing in Swedish registry data for women aged 45 and older, alongside increased NIPT uptake to 81% in privately insured pregnancies by 2022.
03 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
The global fertility services market size was $4.3 billion in 2024 (forecast from a market research firm using public licensing data)
02
The global infertility treatment market was $18.9 billion in 2023 (market research estimate)
03
The assisted reproductive technology market was valued at $25.0 billion in 2023 (market research estimate)
04
The genetic testing market for prenatal screening was $10.8 billion in 2022 (market research estimate)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
From a Market Size perspective, the pregnancy fertility landscape is already large and expanding, with the assisted reproductive technology market reaching $25.0 billion in 2023 and infertility treatment following at $18.9 billion the same year, while prenatal screening genetic testing adds another $10.8 billion in 2022.
04 · Category
Fertility & Outcomes3 stats
01
A 2018 systematic review estimated that live birth after miscarriage-free clinical pregnancy drops with age, with ~1% probability of live birth from an embryo transfer context at age 44–45 (systematic review synthesis)
02
In IVF, the odds of achieving a live birth decline with age; pooled analysis shows a monotonic decline beginning in the late 30s (systematic review, 2019)
03
Maternal age is a significant risk factor for neural tube defects; risk rises with age in large registry studies (meta-analysis, 2016)
Interpretation
Fertility & Outcomes Interpretation
In the Fertility & Outcomes category, the evidence shows that live birth chances and pregnancy outcomes steadily worsen with age, with around a 1% probability of live birth after miscarriage free clinical pregnancy reported in a 2018 review and IVF live birth rates declining monotonically from the late 30s.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
A claims study estimated that maternity episode costs increased by ~35% for women aged 45–54 compared with women aged 25–29 (2021)
02
$600per patient is the typical price range for a prenatal NIPT test in the U.S. in cash-pay pricing datasets (2023 pricing analysis)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, pregnancy at 46 can be more expensive because maternity episode costs rise about 35% for women aged 45–54 versus 25–29, and even common cash pay prenatal NIPT testing typically adds around $600 per patient in the U.S.
06 · Category
Industry Overview2 stats
01
The average age of mothers giving birth in the United States was 30.8 years in 2022
02
In Europe, the proportion of women treated with IVF who are aged 40+ is reported around one-quarter in recent European ART surveillance summaries (ESHRE surveillance, 2020)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From an industry overview perspective, births in the US tend to cluster around age 30.8 years in 2022 while Europe’s IVF landscape shows that about one quarter of treated patients are 40 or older, underscoring a growing focus on later-in-life pregnancy needs.
report visual · Comparison
How pregnancy risks change around age 40+
Several complications rise after age 40, including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and related conditions.
A 2019 population study found increased risk of gestational hypertension for mothers aged 45+ compared with 25–29 (regis2019
At advanced maternal age (≥40), risk of gestational diabetes increases; the absolute risk reported for 41–45 years was 2
40
Risk of preeclampsia increases with age; pooled relative risk for women aged ≥40 compared with <30 was 1.7 (meta-analysi
40
In a U.S. cohort, the rate of placenta accreta increased from 0.03% in ages 25–29 to 0.3% in ages 45–49
0.03%
source-verifiedpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · ajog.org2019
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Pregnancy At 46 Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pregnancy-at-46-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Pregnancy At 46 Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/pregnancy-at-46-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Pregnancy At 46 Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pregnancy-at-46-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)