The correlation between gross domestic product per capita and the success rate of assisted reproductive technologies worldwide

Abstract Background Although there has been increased utilization of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in the world, there is no conclusive definition of the relationship between the success rate of ART and national wealth. Methods In this study, using the data from the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART), we sought to determine whether there is a correlation between the success rate of ART (represented by pregnancy/delivery rates) and national wealth (represented by gross domestic product per capita (GDP)). Moreover, to further understand the effect of GDP on ART effectiveness, we analyzed the association between ART success rate and GDP in 50 US states. Results Our data showed that the number of ART treatment cycles increased with an increase in GDP. However, we found a negative correlation between ART success rate and GDP in ICMART countries, but no correlation was seen in the US states. Using rough estimation, we derived that the success rate of ART was not related to GDP in the ICMART countries with GDP per capita more than thirteen thousand dollars. Conclusions In this study, for the first time, we show that when the GDP of an economic body reaches (or exceeds) thirteen thousand dollars, its ART pregnancy and delivery rates cannot be associated with GDP, and the ART success rate remains stable.