The number of people diagnosed with infertility in Kazakhstan has nearly tripled over the past five years, according to a recent study by Finprom.kz. While the numbers are stark, experts say the increase reflects improved diagnostics and wider access to reproductive healthcare rather than a sudden rise in medical infertility.
Threefold Increase in Five Years
According to data from the Ministry of Health, cited in the “Kazakh Families – 2024” report by the Institute for Social Development, the number of patients officially diagnosed with infertility rose from around 10,000 in 2019 to 29,200 by mid-2024. Nearly all of these cases involve women; only 102 men are recorded.
The sharpest increases occurred in 2021 and 2022, with patient numbers rising by 51.8% and 49.7% respectively. Analysts attribute much of this growth to the state-funded Aңsaғan Sәbi (“Longed-for Child”) program, which offers around 7,000 quotas annually for in vitro fertilization (IVF). To qualify, couples must first be registered at a medical facility, which has incentivized greater diagnostic activity.
Geographic and Gender Disparities
The highest official incidence is in Almaty (4,200 cases), followed by Astana (2,600) and the Zhambyl region (2,500). Experts caution that these figures likely reflect differences in diagnostic availability and public awareness, rather than actual regional variation in infertility rates.
Men remain drastically underrepresented in official statistics. For instance, 39 men are registered in the Zhambyl region, compared to just three in the more populous Turkestan region. In four regions, North Kazakhstan, Zhetysu, Pavlodar, and Astana, there is no available data on male patients. Experts attribute this to a lack of andrological screening and persistent cultural taboos.
Yet at the XIV International Congress of Reproductive Medicine in Almaty, it was noted that male factors account for up to 40% of infertility cases requiring assisted reproductive technologies (ART). In 2024, just one IVF clinic in Kazakhstan treated approximately 2,000 men for andrological conditions and performed surgeries on 1,500 of them.
IVF Program Success and Medical Tourism
Kazakhstan’s IVF sector has seen major advances. Over the past 30 years, ART procedures have resulted in the birth of 39,000 children in the country, 11,000 of them under the state program. The first IVF laboratory in Kazakhstan was established in 1994.
Success rates for ART in Kazakhstan have risen from 12% to 42%. Some private clinics report rates as high as 54%, while the national “take-home baby” rate, the percentage of live births per IVF cycle, stands at approximately 30%. These achievements, along with competitive costs, have turned Kazakhstan into a regional hub for fertility treatment.
Analysts from the Institute for Social Development also link rising IVF demand to the post-pandemic surge in medical screenings, as many women delayed care during COVID-19 lockdowns. But broader social shifts are also at play.
Reproductologists note a growing trend toward delayed marriage and childbirth. As ovarian reserves typically begin to decline after age 35, this delay contributes to fertility challenges. In response, the practice of social egg cryopreservation is becoming increasingly popular as a proactive measure.
While infertility affects an estimated 17% of couples in Kazakhstan, a rate consistent with global averages, experts emphasize that an effective response requires more than medical infrastructure. Cultural attitudes, particularly surrounding male infertility, remain a barrier to early diagnosis and treatment.
A growing number of healthcare professionals, policymakers, and advocates are calling for a comprehensive strategy that combines prevention, public education, and accessible treatment to address the full scope of the issue.
