Odds of Getting Pregnant by Age

As women grow older, one question that’s always on the mind of those who plan to start a family is “Will I get pregnant?”. It’s no secret that fertility and age are linked in both men and women. But in women, the clock starts ticking a bit earlier. So, what are the chances of getting pregnant as you age? Let’s take an in-depth look. 

Key Takeaways

• Age is one of the largest factors affecting people’s ability to conceive, especially so for those assigned female at birth.
• AFAB individuals begin to see a gradual decline in fertility in their early 30s, with a more pronounced drop-off starting shortly before turning 40.
• Individuals assigned male at birth can potentially remain fertile for their entire adult lives. However, an increase in erectile dysfunction is seen around age 40, and a decrease in sperm quality around the same time can have negative health outcomes for offspring.

Female Fertility

When women are born, they already have all the eggs (around 1 to 2 million eggs) they will need.  As one grows older, the number of eggs continues to reduce. This means that the longer one waits to have a child the harder it can be. Nevertheless, this isn’t the case for everyone. 

Fertility by Age

A woman releases at least 1 egg during her menstrual cycle. As a woman ages, they may need to rely on assisted reproductive technologies to help them conceive. On the other hand, those trying to conceive naturally must understand the timeframe they are working with to increase their chances of conception. 

Fertility in the 20s

Women in their 20s are at their fertility peak. They have a 25% higher chance of conception within one menstrual cycle. This is because they have 90% of their eggs with normal chromosomes. Studies have shown that women in their 20s have a 71% chance of getting pregnant within a year of trying. 

In their mid to late 20s, a woman is still fertile and chances of getting pregnant are still high. As long as sexual activities are timed with ovulation, pregnancy can be instant (unless there are underlying issues). Not only that, but women in this age bracket can get pregnant within a year and their chances of a miscarriage are also low. 

Fertility in the 30s

When women hit their 30s, the likelihood of a successful pregnancy starts to drop and the chances of a miscarriage begin to rise. Though natural conception can become a challenge for some, many women still get to conceive without the help of assisted reproductive technology unless one has been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for a year.  Consulting your doctor will let you know if there’s cause to worry. 

When a woman hits her mid to late 30s, chances of getting pregnant naturally now stand at 15% in each cycle and the chances of conceiving naturally within a year stand at 67%. In this age bracket, fertility begins to decline, especially due to reduced egg quality as they tend to have more chromosomal defects. 

Fertility in the 40s

As a woman hits 40, fertility begins to decline much more rapidly. Women attempting to get pregnant at age 40 still have a 56% chance of becoming pregnant within a year, but this percentage continues to fall as each year passes by.

Another factor to take into account is the risk of miscarriage also begins to rise. Studies have shown that 27% of pregnancies in 40-year-olds do end in miscarriage, compared to a 16 percent miscarriage rate in individuals aged 30 or lower.

Though some women do conceive naturally and successfully carry a pregnancy to term, most women need help from assisted reproductive technology. Ivy Fertility offers women or couples struggling with fertility different options and the compassionate healthcare providers walk with you during your fertility journey. 

90% of the eggs produced as a woman ages have chromosomal abnormalities and the uterine lining at this stage thins, and the blood supply to the uterus decreases, making it harder for implantation to happen.

Before women approach menopause, there’s a previous stage known as perimenopause that can last up to 10 years. In this stage, your cycle becomes shorter or irregular. If you’re planning to conceive, you have to time sex with ovulation. 

Male Fertility

Unlike women, who are born with all their eggs, men are not born with all their sperm and start to make sperm every day once they hit puberty. Male fertility is also affected by age and can decline once a man hits 40. A 2022 study found that there is a significant increase in the likelihood of erectile dysfunction in individuals over the age of 40. 

Additionally, other fertility problems in men include:

• Low sperm count
• Low motility
• Sperm morphology (sperm with an unusual shape that makes it harder for them to move or get inside the egg).

Still, many assigned at-birth males remain fertile to some degree throughout their entire adult lives. While they continue to produce sperm later in life, the quality of this sperm declines with age.

Fertility FAQs

How many eggs are people born with?

A woman is born with approximately 1–2 million eggs in her ovaries. However, this number is higher when in fetal development as they are born with around 6 million eggs, or oocytes. By the time a female gets to puberty, the total number of egg reserves drops to around 300,000.

When does fertility decline?

According to the NIH, fertility technically declines throughout the entire early adulthood of females born with a uterus, but a significant decline begins in the late 30s. Between the ages of 35 and 40, the likelihood of conceiving naturally drops by nearly 25 percent.

What age are people most fertile?

Women are most fertile in their late teens to early 20s. During this period, there is around a 25% chance of a pregnancy occurring during each monthly menstrual cycle. For those assigned males at birth, peak fertility typically occurs sometime between 25 and 29, with sperm quality beginning to decline around age 30.

The Bottom Line

Over the years, statistics have shown that more people are delaying having children until their late 30s or 40s for many different reasons. But for many women and men, the older you grow, so does your reproductive system. However, thanks to advances in reproductive technology, couples still can start a family even in later years.