IVF for Women over 40

Own-egg success drops to ~8–18% — but donor eggs reset it to ~48%. The cost-per-baby maths usually flips to donor abroad (Czechia, Greece, Spain).

The realistic picture for women over 40

Own-egg success drops to ~8–18% — but donor eggs reset it to ~48%. The cost-per-baby maths usually flips to donor abroad (Czechia, Greece, Spain).

The 40+ crossover: own-egg success drops below 30% by age 40 and continues falling. Donor eggs at ~48% per transfer become cheaper per baby for most women over 40. The calculator shows the exact age where this flips for you.

Egg quantity and quality decline steadily from the mid-30s, and the proportion of chromosomally abnormal eggs rises sharply — which is why own-egg live birth falls from roughly half under 35 to single digits by the mid-40s in the CDC and HFEA registries. Donor eggs from a young screened donor bypass this almost entirely, holding live birth near 48% per transfer at any recipient age (ESHRE). PGT-A can lower miscarriage risk by transferring only chromosomally normal embryos, but it cannot manufacture good eggs where ovarian reserve is already exhausted; for many women over 42 the cumulative own-egg live-birth rate plateaus regardless of how many cycles are attempted.

What the registries actually show

IVF success is driven mainly by maternal age and egg type, not by the country you choose. The public registries put own-egg live birth at roughly:

• United States (CDC ART, 2021): live birth per egg retrieval with own eggs — under 35 49.7%, 35-37 36.3%, 38-40 23.1%, over 40 7.7%.
• United Kingdom (HFEA, 2023): live birth per embryo transferred — ages 18-34 about 35%, 43-44 about 5%; national average about 25%.
• Donor eggs (ESHRE/EIM): about 48% per transfer, broadly independent of the recipient's age — the single biggest lever after 40.

Sources & evidence

The success figures on this page come from national IVF registries, not clinic marketing. Primary sources:

• CDC ART 2021 National Summary (US) — US live-birth per egg retrieval, own eggs: under 35 49.7%, 35-37 36.3%, 38-40 23.1%, over 40 7.7%.
• HFEA Fertility Treatment 2023: trends & figures (UK) — UK live-birth per embryo transferred, own eggs: ages 18-34 ~35%, 43-44 ~5%; national average ~25%; ~1 in 5 births used donor eggs/sperm.
• HFEA Fertility Treatment 2021: preliminary trends & figures — UK birth rate per embryo transferred: 40-42 ~10%, 43-50 ~4% (2021).
• ESHRE / EIM - European IVF monitoring — Donor-egg live-birth ~48% per transfer, broadly independent of recipient age.
• Cumulative live-birth with own eggs - PMC10591412 — Cumulative live-birth with own eggs plateaus with fewer cycles for each year of age over 42.
• NICE CG156 - Fertility problems (UK) — UK clinical guideline on IVF access criteria and number of funded cycles.

Compiled and fact-checked by the BabyPath editorial team against the registries above. Per-retrieval (CDC) and per-transfer (HFEA) use different denominators — both are shown so the numbers are not misread. Educational information, not medical advice; outcomes vary by individual and clinic — always consult a licensed fertility specialist.