Embryo transfers – patients per 1,000 women, 18–46 years
Discussion
In vitro fertilization (IVF), also known as test-tube treatment, is the most common form of assisted reproduction, in which the woman’s egg is fertilized outside the body and transferred back after cell division has started.
A total of 4,444 women aged 18 to 46 years received IVF treatment at public hospitals in Norway in 2025. This corresponds to 4.2 treatments per 1,000 women. The figures include only women who underwent embryo transfer to the uterus and are therefore somewhat lower than the actual number of women receiving IVF treatment.
Both the number and the rate declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, before gradually increasing in the following years. In 2025, the rate had returned to the same level as in 2018, while the number of women receiving IVF treatment had increased by 10%.
There has been a clear increase in the number of women aged 39–46 years receiving IVF treatment during the period. The proportion of IVF-treated women in this age group increased from around 13% in 2018 to 17% in 2025.
The geographical variation decreased during the period from 2018 to 2025. However, the rates were consistently highest in Helse Midt-Norge and Helse Sør-Øst, and lowest in Helse Nord and Helse Vest throughout the entire period.
This analysis complements the statistics on assisted fertilization on the pages of the Directorate of Health.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norsk pasientregister (NPR) for somatic specialist health services. This analysis includes only data from public hospitals.
The sample consists of women aged 18-46 years with contacts coded with procedure code LCA30, LCW30K or LCW31K (transfer of egg or embryo to the uterus).
Where the patient is treated is divided into two categories:
- Own health trust, treated at one of the hospitals in the catchment area
- Other health trust, treated at a hospital outside the catchment area
In order to compare the catchment areas and between years, the rates have been adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment was done using the direct method with the countrys population in 2023 as the reference population.
In graphs with patient‑aggregated data, the numbers are adjusted to avoid double‑counting patients. The actual number of patients is therefore higher when looking at a single variable for a focus area. For example, patients who have received both private and public treatment during a year are counted only once in total, which means that the number of patients in private treatment will be underreported.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on the data.