IVF success rates climb as ART sector faces major accreditation overhaul

Australians undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) are now more likely to take home a baby than they were five years ago, according to new national data. The findings reveal advances in assisted reproductive technology (ART) are improving success rates while reducing risks to mothers and babies.

The latest Australian and New Zealand Assisted Reproduction Database (ANZARD) report, developed by UNSW Sydney, recorded almost 114,000 IVF treatment cycles in 2024, resulting in more than 20,900 babies. One in five initiated cycles led to a live birth.

“Fertility treatment is playing an increasing role in helping families grow,” said Professor Georgina Chambers, Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit (NPESU) at UNSW and lead author of the report.

The findings emerge as the ART sector faces scrutiny over safety, oversight and transparency following two serious incidents involving Monash IVF that shook public confidence last year.

In June 2025, Health Ministers asked the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to undertake a rapid review of ART and IVF regulation and accreditation in Australia. They also asked the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to develop an independent national accreditation scheme for ART services against updated national safety and quality standards. The national accreditation project began in April 2026, with draft standards due to be available for testing from January 2027. All ART providers are expected to transition to the new accreditation scheme by December 2028.

Against this backdrop, the ANZARD data points to a sector in which clinical practices and technologies are continuing to evolve.

IVF activity increased modestly in 2024, with the number of treatment cycles rising 1% from 2023. More significantly, live birth rates following embryo transfer increased from 28.9% to 31.1% over five years.

“IVF is not only becoming more effective, but continues to support a diverse range of families,” Professor Chambers said.

The data reflects the increasingly diverse circumstances of people accessing fertility treatment. Single women accounted for 14.4% of cycles, while 4.6% were undertaken by same-sex female intended parents. A further 271 cycles involved surrogacy or gestational carriers.

One of the most significant shifts in IVF practice has been the growing reliance on embryo freezing. Newer cryopreservation techniques, including embryo vitrification, have substantially improved the likelihood that embryos will survive the freezing and thawing process. Today, about 70% of embryo transfers involve a frozen embryo. The ANZARD report also highlights a marked change in the use of fresh cycles: almost half (44.5%) of initiated fresh cycles resulted in all eggs or embryos being frozen for future use, compared with 31.6% five years earlier.

“Cryopreservation has long been a major focus of fertility care in Australia and New Zealand,” said Dr Petra Wale, President of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), which funded the ANZARD report.

The combination of improved cryopreservation techniques and single embryo transfer is allowing clinics to reduce the risks associated with multiple pregnancies while preserving patients’ chances of achieving a successful pregnancy.

“Cryopreservation is now so successful that clinics can plan embryo transfers for the best time in a patient’s treatment and consider their longer-term hopes for family size,” Dr Wale added. “The data shows why this approach is becoming more common: it can improve the chance of success while supporting safe treatment for patients.”

The safety gains are reflected in birth outcomes. Of the 20,918 babies born following IVF treatment in 2024, 82.5% were full-term singletons with a healthy birthweight. By comparison, 92% of all babies born in Australia had a normal birthweight.

“Single embryo transfer is one of the most important advances in IVF,” explained Dr Simon McDowell, Vice President of FSANZ. “Australia and New Zealand have always been world leaders in the field with our multiple births rate being below 5% for over a decade. We have been able to significantly reduce the health risks associated with multiple pregnancies while increasing success rates.”

For many patients, however, IVF remains a process that unfolds over multiple treatment cycles rather than a single attempt.

Among the 43,849 women who began IVF for the first time between 2021 and 2022, 37% had a baby during their first complete IVF cycle. Among women who continued treatment, the cumulative likelihood of a live birth increased with successive complete cycles, reaching 57.6% by the sixth complete IVF cycle.

“For many patients, IVF involves more than one cycle, with each cycle reflecting a significant emotional, physical and financial journey,” Professor Chambers explained. “Female age plays a big role in the chance of success and educating couples about this is important.”

After three complete IVF cycles using their own eggs, women aged under 30 had the highest cumulative live birth rate, at 71%. That rate fell to 21% among women aged 40-44 and to 3% among women aged 45 or more.

“These numbers emphasise the reality that IVF success is often achieved over multiple cycles, with complex and sometimes challenging journeys behind each positive result,” stated Dr Wale.

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