Infertility: A growing global epidemic

Abstract

Infertility is increasingly recognised as a serious global public-health concern rather than a private or couple-level problem. Current estimates from the World Health Organization indicate that approximately one in six adults worldwide, or about 17.5%, will experience infertility during their lifetime (World Health Organization, 2023). Recent Global Burden of Disease analyses further suggest that female infertility has increased significantly, with global cases rising to 110 million in 2021, showing an approximate 84% increase since 1990 (Sun et al., 2025). The rise is consistent across both high-income and low-income regions, although disparities in access to healthcare and infertility treatment remain evident (Li et al., 2025). Multiple factors contribute to this upward trend, including delayed age at first pregnancy, increased exposure to environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals, higher prevalence of obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol use, and untreated reproductive tract infections, which remain a major cause particularly in low-resource settings (Zegers-Hochschild et al., 2022; Li et al., 2025). Social stigma, limited awareness, high treatment costs, and inequality in access to assisted reproductive technologies (ART) further exacerbate the burden, creating emotional, psychological, and financial distress for affected individuals and couples (Sun et al., 2025). With declining fertility rates and increasing dependence on ART globally, infertility is now more broadly understood as a public health priority rather than an individual issue. Effective strategies to address this emerging global epidemic must include prevention through lifestyle modification, improved screening, strengthened reproductive health systems, public education, and equitable access to treatment and policy support (World Health Organization, 2023). Without coordinated international action, the prevalence of infertility is projected to continue rising alongside demographic, environmental and lifestyle shifts (Li et al., 2025; Sun et al., 2025).