Financial Burden of IVF: While IVF is opening the door to parenthood for many, the poor are still shying away from it. Let us tell you what a study conducted on this issue has found.

Why IVF Is Expensive In India: The cost of IVF in India has become so high that most couples are drowning in debt while getting the treatment done. A new government report reveals that 9 out of every 10 Indian couples who undergo IVF reach a situation where the cost of treatment exceeds 10 percent of their annual income. An IVF cycle costs around Rs 2.3 lakh in private hospitals and Rs 1.1 lakh on an average in government hospitals. This burden is very heavy for any average family and this is the most shocking thing about this report.

This is the country's first major study, conducted by ICMR-NIRRCH for the Ministry of Health. It clearly shows that IVF is not only expensive but also a financial blow to many families, as success in one cycle is not guaranteed, and people often have to try at least three times. The report also cites WHO data, which shows that 4 to 17 percent of couples in India struggle with infertility, and about 8 percent of these require advanced treatments like IVF.

Why is treatment expensive?

The entire IVF process involves several steps: ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization, embryo transfer, and continuous monitoring. This makes this treatment both technically complex and financially burdensome. The Ayushman Bharat scheme currently covers hospital treatment up to ₹5 lakh for vulnerable groups, but IVF is not included. The report clearly states that since most IVF costs are incurred in outpatient settings, it should be included in the package. If included in the scheme, the government recommends adopting the cost of ₹81,332 per IVF cycle. Approximately 28 million couples in the country face infertility, for whom IVF is the last hope, but the high cost of treatment hinders them.

The study also revealed that PCOS was the most common cause of infertility among all surveyed patients. Direct treatment costs are higher in private hospitals, while patients in government hospitals face higher non-medical expenses, such as travel, accommodation, and lost time from work. One in four patients incurred so much expenditure before IVF even began that it fell into the category of "catastrophic expenditure." The report also reveals that infertility remains a low priority in India's healthcare system, with virtually no financial protection for its treatment.

Why is IVF so expensive?

The cost of one IVF cycle can range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh. This includes medications, tests, monitoring, embryo labs, and multiple attempts. Furthermore, inflation has further increased the cost of medications and tests, making this expense unaffordable for middle-class families. According to the Household Consumption Survey, rural families spend approximately Rs 17,000 per month. Consequently, the cost of IVF exceeds many people's entire annual income.