The number of single women starting a family without a partner has more than tripled over the past decade, figures from the UK’s fertility regulator suggest.
Solo women now represent around 7 per cent of all patients in the UK undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF), up from about 3 per cent in 2014, according to the latest data from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
Overall, the number of patients undergoing IVF has almost tripled over the last 30 years, from around 19,000 in the early 1990s to 53,000 in 2024.
While opposite-sex couples did account for the majority of IVF patients with 88 per cent (47,000) of all patients in 2024, the number of same-sex couples and single patients has soared.
Female same-sex IVF patients have increased from around 1,000 in 2014 to 2,800 in 2024, and single IVF patients have more than tripled from 1,100 to 3,700.
Single patients also accounted for more than half (51 per cent) of those undergoing donor insemination, followed by female same-sex couples (42 per cent) in 2024.
Single patients and female same-sex couples previously used to have donor insemination treatment first, before using IVF to conceive. But in recent years, there has been an increasing number of patients opting for IVF with donor sperm as their first treatment.
Clare Ettinghausen, director of strategy and corporate affairs at HFEA, told The Independent: “We’re particularly seeing a shift from use of donor insemination to IVF for both groups, which could be for several reasons such as higher birth rates per cycle, shorter time to pregnancy, lower overall donor sperm cost and more.”
IVF births continue to account for roughly one child in every classroom (1 in 31) across the UK, with most (81 per cent) babies born from IVF treatment using a patient’s own eggs and partner sperm.
However, the proportion of NHS-funded IVF cycles declined from 35 per cent in 2019 to 28 per cent in 2024 in the UK.
Egg freezing among 30- to 34-year-olds also surged by 67 per cent between 2022 and 2023. Over the past decade, egg freezing increased in popularity with around 700 patients freezing their eggs in 2014 to 5,580 in 2024.
But, for the first time since 2020, the number of egg freezing cycles carried out has not increased between years, remaining at a similar level to 2023.
HFEA suggested several reasons why more people are having IVF. One is the increase in single women and same-sex couples using IVF, and another is people choosing to start a family later in life.
Data shows that 11 per cent of births to women aged 40 to 44 were a result of IVF in 2023.
Another reason HFEA suggests may have caused the increase in IVF is the fact that UK fertility rates have fallen to an all-time low.
Fertility rates have been gradually falling across the world and have more than halved since 1963. In England and Wales, the fertility rate has fallen to its lowest level on record, at 1.44 children per woman, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Ms Ettinghausen added: “While the number of female same-sex couples and single patients having fertility treatment continues to rise, both groups are less likely than opposite-sex couples to receive NHS funding.
“While the HFEA does not regulate funding, we encourage those who commission fertility services to review their eligibility criteria and consider whether these have an adverse impact on access to treatment and we hope that this report will generate further discussion.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The government recognises access to fertility treatment varies across the country and the difficulty this causes people trying to start a family.
“We want equal access for all, which is why we are working with the NHS to improve consistency. We expect Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to commission treatment in line with the NICE guidelines, which were updated earlier this year.
“We will continue to support the health service to make sure national guidance is followed and ensure fair access for all, no matter where they live.”
