The twin baby boom

The share of births that are twins has changed over time.

The chart shows data for France, Canada, the United States, and England & Wales in the Human Multiple Births Database.

As you can see, twin births have risen dramatically since the 1980s.

One reason is the use of reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), which have made it possible for many more couples to conceive. During procedures like IVF, multiple eggs can be used at the same time to maximize the chances of a successful pregnancy, which can lead to twin births.

Another reason for the rise in twin births is that the average age of women at childbirth has risen. Older women are more likely to have twin births, even without using reproductive technologies.

Twin births are a chance event, but data shows they can also be influenced by societal changes and reproductive technologies.

Explore trends in twin births for other countries →

Where this page came from

This page was imported from Our World in Data. “The twin baby boom” by Saloni Dattani, Lucas Rodés-Guirao, published by Our World in Data under CC BY 4.0. Changed here: set as a page, its interactive charts shown as pictures. Data from third parties keeps its own licence.

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