A woman is born with between one and two million eggs. This number significantly decreases throughout her life, reaching fewer than 1,000 by the time she reaches menopause.
Egg Count Throughout a Woman's Life
Several sources provide estimates of the number of eggs a woman possesses at different life stages:
- At birth: A female fetus has approximately 6–7 million eggs, though this number varies. This eventually drops to 1-2 million by the time a girl is born. [Source: Medical News Today, Healthline, Rogel Cancer Center, Evewell, Apricity Fertility, Natural Cycles]
- Age 30: A woman in her thirties may have approximately 100,000-150,000 eggs remaining. [Source: CNY Fertility]
- Age 35: This number further decreases to around 80,000 by age 35. [Source: CNY Fertility]
- Menopause: By menopause, fewer than 1,000 eggs remain. [Source: Medical News Today]
Throughout her reproductive years, a woman will release approximately 500 mature eggs during ovulation. [Source: Clearblue] It's important to note that these are averages, and individual variation exists. There's no way to know the exact number of eggs a woman has at any given time. [Source: Apricity Fertility]
The continuous decrease in egg count is a natural process, and it explains the decline in fertility as women age.
