Trends in the burden of female infertility among adults aged 20–49 years during 1990–2019: an analysis of data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Objectives The aim of this analysis was to investigate the worldwide distribution and trends in the burden of female infertility (FI). Design and setting Analysis of cross-sectional data from 1990 to 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019. Participants Adults aged 20–49 years in various geographical regions, Sociodemographic Index (SDI) levels and populations across 204 countries worldwide. Outcome measures Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-standardised DALY rates and estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) for FI over the research period. Results The global burden of FI, as measured by DALYs and age-standardised DALY rates among adults aged 20–49 years, exhibited an upward trend from 1990 to 2019. Regions such as Tropical Latin America (EAPC: 3.76, 95% CI 2.76 to 4.77), South Asia (EAPC: 1.74, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.48) and Andean Latin America (EAPC: 8.54, 95% CI 6.79 to 10.32) had higher DALYs. The age-standardised DALY rates notably increased in low-middle-SDI and low-SDI countries, with EAPCs of 1.42 (95% CI 0.76 to 2.10) and 1.25 (95% CI 0.30 to 2.21), respectively. Despite lower overall DALYs in high-SDI countries, they experienced the highest EAPC in DALYs (1.57, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.83) during the period 1990–2019. China and India consistently had the highest DALYs for FI globally in both 1990 and 2019, while Africa and Latin America bore a significantly greater burden of the disease compared with other regions. Conclusion The GBD Study data on FI among adults aged 20–49 years revealed a rising global trend in FI from 1990 to 2019, with notable variations across different regions.