Egg Freezing in Canada Has Grown Twelvefold Since 2013

It used to be a procedure for people facing chemotherapy. Now it shows up in workplace benefits packages and in conversations at 30th birthday dinners, and the fine print deserves as much attention as the freedom it promises.

Egg freezing in Canada has surged over the past decade, with 2,663 egg retrieval cycles for banking reported in 2025 compared with 217 in 2013, according to Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society data reported by CBC News. More than 22,000 eggs were frozen last year, up from 775 in 2013. The society's president, Dr. Mohamed Bedaiwy, told CBC there is definitely a rise in elective fertility preservation, meaning people freezing eggs without a medical reason, simply to keep the option of children open for later.

Key takeaways

Canadian clinics reported 2,663 egg retrieval cycles for banking in 2025, more than twelve times the 217 reported in 2013.

One cycle typically costs around $8,000, plus $2,000 to $8,000 for medication, and many patients need two or three cycles.

Elective egg freezing is not covered by provincial health plans, though some workplace benefits now pay for part of it.

A fertility specialist told CBC that someone in their early 30s who freezes 20 to 25 eggs has about a 75 percent chance of a baby.

Your age when you freeze and the number of eggs you bank matter more than anything else, so ask any clinic for its own results in writing.

Why are more Canadians freezing their eggs?

The forces behind the boom are the same ones reshaping many Canadian life plans. Patients told doctors they were freezing their eggs because of the high cost of living, career ambitions, or simply not having met the right partner yet. Meanwhile, Statistics Canada has recorded the country's lowest-ever fertility rate for the second year in a row.

The technology has improved too. Modern flash-freezing, called vitrification, helps far more eggs survive thawing than the slow-freeze methods it replaced. Add employers offering fertility benefits in a competitive labour market, and a procedure that was niche a decade ago is now marketed by almost every fertility clinic in the country.

Biology is the part money cannot change. Egg quality and quantity decline with age, which is the whole premise of the procedure, since freezing eggs at 32 preserves 32-year-old eggs for use at 40.

What is the real cost of egg freezing?

Doctors who spoke to CBC said one cycle typically costs around $8,000, with another $2,000 to $8,000 for medication. Patients often need two or three cycles to bank enough eggs, CBC reported in November, and storage fees continue every year after that.

The cost of egg freezing also continues when the eggs are finally used. A Toronto investigation into the industry found that thawing eggs can cost about $10,000, and in vitro fertilization can cost up to $20,000 a round. Elective egg freezing is not covered by provincial health plans, which differs from fertility preservation before cancer treatment, as our report on fertility preservation for kids in Ontario explains.

How many eggs give you a realistic chance?

The two numbers that matter most are your age at freezing and how many eggs you bank. A Toronto fertility specialist told CBC that someone in their early 30s who freezes 20 to 25 eggs has about a 75 percent chance of having a baby, and the odds fall as age rises and the egg count drops.

Frozen eggs are a chance, never a promise. Of the 4.1 million babies born in Canada between 2013 and 2023, just 70 are known to have come from frozen eggs, the investigation found, partly because most people who freeze eggs have not tried to use them. None of that makes egg freezing a bad decision, and peace of mind can be worth a lot, as long as it is an informed purchase.

Do workplace fertility benefits cover it?

Some do, and many people never check. A growing number of Canadian employers now offer fertility benefits that pay for a cycle or for the medication, which can cut the out-of-pocket bill in half. Our explainer on who decides what in Canadian health care covers why provinces fund some fertility care and not this.

What should you ask a fertility doctor first?

If children are somewhere in your future, get the information before the decision becomes urgent. A first conversation with a family doctor, and then a fertility doctor if you want one, can cover where you stand and what egg freezing in Canada would realistically buy you.

Ask about your ovarian reserve. Blood work and an ultrasound can estimate how many eggs a cycle might retrieve, though they cannot predict egg quality.

Ask for numbers for your age. Request the clinic's own success estimates for people your age, in writing.

Ask how many cycles to expect. Find out how many eggs the clinic would aim for and how many cycles that usually takes.

Get the full price list. Include medication, storage per year, thawing, and future IVF costs before you sign anything.

Check your benefits. Fertility coverage has appeared in many workplace plans and often goes unused because nobody knows it is there.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to freeze your eggs in Canada?

One cycle typically costs around $8,000, plus $2,000 to $8,000 for medication, and many people need two or three cycles. Storage adds a fee every year, and using the eggs later adds thawing and IVF costs. Elective egg freezing is not covered by provincial health plans, though some workplace benefits help.

What is the best age to freeze your eggs?

Earlier generally gives better odds, because egg quality and quantity decline with age. Fertility specialists often point to the early to mid-30s as a sensible window, and results drop more steeply after 35. A doctor can assess your own ovarian reserve and help you weigh the timing.

Can egg freezing guarantee a baby later?

Egg freezing in Canada offers a chance at a pregnancy later, never a guarantee. The odds depend on your age when the eggs were frozen and how many were banked, and some eggs will not survive thawing or lead to a pregnancy. Ask any clinic for realistic estimates for your situation.

Your next step

The best time to understand your fertility is years before you need to act on it. The Medimap Health Hub has more on coverage and health policy in Canada, and you can find a family doctor near you and have that conversation on your own schedule.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. It does not replace a conversation with a doctor or other qualified health professional who knows your history. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.