True cost of IVF in the UK
Our key findings
- On average, people in the UK pay £13,730 for their IVF
- 70% of people who undergo IVF treatment experience financial trauma
- 78% of people go into debt to fund their IVF treatment
- The most common emotional reactions to discussing the cost of IVF are stress (32%), discomfort (26%) and nervousness (24%)
How much does IVF cost in the UK?
According to our results, on average people in the UK pay around £13,730 for their IVF treatment. That’s 44% of the UK median annual household income (£31,400).
“Let’s think about this in comparison to rising energy prices. A household is considered to be in fuel poverty when it has to spend 10% or more of its disposable income on energy. But if you’re spending 44% of your annual income because you’re struggling to conceive, no public body comes to your financial aid. I believe that parenthood is a fundamental human right – though without the right cover, the most fortunate always win.”
Nader AlSalim, Founder and CEO of Gaia
What factors impact the cost?
It’s hard to understand the true cost of IVF due to how much it varies by clinic, and the types of IVF treatment. In London, a complete round of IVF treatment can be up to £8,950, whereas in Birmingham and Manchester, it’s can go up to £6,610. Read more about what to look out for in our guide: How much does IVF cost?.
Due to the additional cost of donor eggs and/or donor sperm, the average cost of IVF for same-sex couples is 17% higher than for heterosexual couples (£15,512 vs £13,276). Extra donor costs can include admin, transport and registration fees from the chosen donor bank.
On top of the costs of IVF, there’s also the uncertainty of success. Of those who experienced an unsuccessful outcome, such as a miscarriage, their average IVF cost was also higher (£17,290 vs £13,730 average) due to paying for additional rounds.
At Gaia, we believe you shouldn’t pay for your IVF treatment if you don’t have a child.
“Regardless of your circumstance, I believe that anyone who wants to have a family, should be able to try. It’s why I founded Gaia. The process of building a family shouldn’t be tinged with stress and anxiety around money. And with a Gaia Plan, it doesn’t have to be. With us, aspiring parents pay a fraction of the total cost to start their treatment, and only repay an affordable monthly amount when they have a child. Nothing more if they don’t.”
Nader AlSalim, Founder and CEO of Gaia
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What is the impact of IVF cost?
“IVF is where two social taboos collide, infertility and money. The financial trauma of fertility treatment only adds to the already huge emotional and physical ordeal that is IVF. Add to that our inability to talk about money as a society and you’re stepping into a minefield of stress.”
Alex Holder, Gaia spokesperson, journalist and author of Open Up: The Power of Talking about Money
Financial stress can lead to trauma
Seventy per cent of people who undergo IVF treatment experience financial trauma. This rises to 80% of those who experience chemical pregnancies or missed miscarriages, and 85% of those who experience late-term loss.
To help alleviate some of the emotional burden, our Gaia Members get a point of contact throughout their entire IVF journey, community events and 12 complimentary counselling sessions.
Discussing the cost of IVF causes high stress
The most common emotional reactions to discussing the cost of IVF are stress (32%), discomfort (26%) and nervousness (24%).
These are emotional weights that, as Gaia member Emily Shinn explains to The Sun, lift the moment that the financial burden becomes more manageable. “Gaia funded two cycles for us,” she says. “{IVF} instantly became affordable and meant we could just focus on the treatment and now the pregnancy rather than stressing about the money side of things.”
As Shinn explains it, insurance, whether for IVF or a treasured possession, is about peace of mind: “In the same way that you insure your house or your car, it’s security in case you need it and if you don’t need it then it hasn’t cost you the earth.”
Paying for IVF has meant going into debt
Seventy-eight per cent of respondents have gone into debt because of their fertility treatment. And almost one-third (32%) say that they’re worried about their ability to pay off that debt in the future.
“No one should have to compromise their financial future to build their family. But time and time again, I speak to people who have remortgaged their home, gone into overdraft, or taken out credit card debt – all for an outcome that isn’t guaranteed. At Gaia, we insure the risk so no one takes on this uncertainty and financial commitment alone.”
Lucy Slack, Head of Experience at Gaia
Start IVF for less, with Gaia
For the majority of people, an average cost of £13,730 for IVF with no guarantee of success is unattainable. And with the challenge of the NHS postcode lottery, we knew there had to be another way for those who are ineligible or don’t want to wait.
We created the Gaia Plan to offer a way to affordably start and protect IVF treatment. Start your IVF with a simple protection fee and Gaia will fix and pay for your treatment costs. Only repay once you have had a child, and pay nothing more if you don't with support and a Member Community throughout.
Request a quote to find out if you’re eligible.
Our data report
Gaia’s research, conducted by Opinion Matters, surveyed 250 people between 27 July and 1 August 2022 who are either going through IVF privately, or who have already gone through IVF privately in the UK.
