A fast-growing treatment
In the UK, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority recorded 6,932 egg freezing cycles in 2023, against 2,567 in 2019 and 4,688 in 2022 (HFEA, Fertility treatment 2023). That is an increase of about 170% in four years. Most of these cycles are what is often called "social" or elective egg freezing: people freezing eggs to keep the option of using them later.
How it works, briefly
The first steps are the same as for IVF: hormone injections stimulate the ovaries, and eggs are collected under sedation. Instead of being fertilised straight away, the eggs are frozen, today by a fast-freezing method called vitrification. If they are used later, they are thawed, fertilised (usually by injecting a single sperm into each egg) and any resulting embryos are transferred.
How many eggs?
The HFEA's patient information says that patients under 38 typically have 7 to 14 eggs collected in a cycle, although this is not always possible, especially for those with a low ovarian reserve (HFEA, Egg freezing). Not every egg survives thawing, not every egg fertilises, and not every embryo leads to a pregnancy, so the number of eggs stored matters.
Why age at freezing matters most
The age that counts is the age when the eggs were frozen, not the age when they are used. Older HFEA analyses showed this clearly: for treatments in 2014 to 2016, the birth rate per embryo transfer was 27% when eggs had been frozen under 35, against 13% when they had been frozen over 35 (HFEA egg freezing supplement). The HFEA also reported that the birth rate for patients using their own frozen eggs rose from 12% in 2014 to 18% in 2016 as techniques improved.
Today, the HFEA cautions that frozen-egg success figures are based on small numbers and that older data are not directly comparable with current results. It recommends looking at fresh IVF success rates for the relevant age band as a guide (see IVF success rates explained). The underlying biology does not change: egg quality declines with age, and freezing stops that clock only for the eggs that are frozen.
What it costs
The HFEA gives average UK costs:
| Step | Average UK cost |
|---|---|
| Collecting and freezing eggs | about £3,350 |
| Medication | £500 to £1,500 |
| Storage | £125 to £350 a year |
| Thawing, fertilisation and transfer | about £2,500 |
| Whole process | about £7,000 to £8,000 |
Source: HFEA, Egg freezing (patient information page), consulted 25 October 2026. Prices vary between clinics.
Elective egg freezing is generally not funded by the NHS. Freezing for medical reasons, for example before cancer treatment that may affect fertility, is a different situation and may be funded.
How long eggs can be stored
UK law changed on 1 July 2022. Eggs can now be stored for up to 55 years from the date they were first placed in storage, provided consent is renewed every 10 years. If consent is not renewed, or the clinic cannot reach the patient, the eggs can be removed from storage and disposed of. Keeping contact details up to date with the clinic is therefore important.
What to ask before deciding
- How many eggs is the clinic likely to collect, given my age and test results?
- What are the clinic's own results for patients who returned to use frozen eggs, and how many patients is that figure based on?
- What will storage and later treatment cost?
- What happens to the eggs if I do not use them?
Tests of ovarian reserve, such as the AMH blood test, are often part of these conversations. They help predict how many eggs may be collected, but they say much less about natural fertility than many people think: see what an AMH test can and cannot tell you. And for the bigger picture of why people are having children later, see why the age at first birth keeps rising.
This article explains published figures and is not medical advice. A fertility specialist can discuss what egg freezing would mean in your own case.
Medical and elective freezing
Egg freezing is used in two quite different situations. In medical fertility preservation, eggs are frozen because a treatment, such as chemotherapy, is likely to damage the ovaries, or because a condition threatens fertility. Time is often short, and decisions are made alongside cancer care. In elective freezing, people freeze eggs to keep the option of having children later, usually because they are not ready or do not have a partner. Most of the recent growth in the UK is elective.
Eggs or embryos?
People in a couple sometimes freeze embryos rather than eggs. Embryos have historically survived freezing and thawing well, and freezing them gives information about how many embryos were created. Eggs, on the other hand, belong to one person and do not depend on a relationship continuing. The 2022 change in UK law on storage periods applies to eggs, sperm and embryos alike, with consent renewed every ten years.
Realistic expectations
Frozen eggs are an option, not a guarantee. Some eggs do not survive thawing, some do not fertilise, and many embryos do not lead to a pregnancy. Clinics can estimate how many eggs may be needed for a reasonable chance of one birth at a given age; those estimates rise steeply with age. Using frozen eggs also means going through IVF later, with its own costs and success rates (see IVF success rates explained).
For some people, the more useful step is an early conversation about fertility in general, covered in how common is infertility?, rather than a decision to freeze.