Egg Freezing Surges in Canada Amid Rising Costs and Delayed Motherhood
Elective egg-freezing procedures have jumped sharply in Canada, driven by higher living costs and later childbearing.
Canadian fertility clinics are seeing a dramatic rise in elective egg-freezing, with retrieval cycles increasing from 217 in 2013 to 2,663 in 2025 and stored eggs growing from 775 to over 22,000. The surge reflects rising living expenses, career goals and delayed family planning, as the average age of mothers rose from 26.7 in 1976 to 31.6 in 2022. Specialists warn that success hinges on age and egg count, estimating roughly a 75 % chance of a live birth when 20-25 eggs are frozen in the early-30s. A single cycle costs about $8,000, plus $2,000-$8,000 for medication, with total packages reaching $11,000-$16,000, and public subsidies are generally unavailable.
Some tech firms and sports organizations are starting to offer coverage, but geographic access and affordability remain major barriers. Clinicians advise early consultation, noting only about 11 % of women have yet used thawed eggs, a proportion expected to rise.
Why it matters
The trend highlights how economic and social factors are reshaping family planning and exposing gaps in affordable fertility options.
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