How Many Eggs Does a Woman Have? Egg Count by Age Breakdown

Let’s talk about ovaries.

Specifically, how many eggs you actually have, how fast they disappear, and whether you can do anything about it.

Because if you’ve ever been told your “biological clock is ticking”, you probably have questions (and possibly some choice words for whoever said it).

So let’s crack this whole egg count thing, once and for all. 🥚

In this article: 📝

How many eggs is a woman born with?

Turns out, you come into this world fully stocked, eggs-wise.

Unlike sperm, which is made on demand, ovaries don’t produce new eggs throughout life.

Instead, you get a lifetime supply before you’re even born.

Here’s how it goes down:

• Around 6 to 7 million eggs when you’re a fetus at about 20 weeks gestation. [1]
• By birth? That number drops to around 1 to 2 million.
• By puberty, you’re down to 300,000 to 500,000 eggs. And from there, the countdown really begins.

At what age are 90% of a woman’s eggs gone?

If we’re looking at your eggs from birth, then 90% of your eggs have gone by the time you hit puberty.

But, let’s be honest, you can’t exactly do anything with those eggs before puberty, so let’s count them from then.

You’ll likely have about 10% of your total eggs left from puberty around your mid 30s, somewhere between 30 to 35.

Let’s break it down for each age bracket:

How many eggs does a woman have at 20?

At 20, you’re still pretty egg-rich.

You’ve got roughly 100,000 to 200,000 eggs left.

This is peak fertility time — your ovaries are working with a solid stash, and egg quality is still top-tier.

How many eggs are left at age 30?

By 30, your reserves have dropped to around 72,000 to 100,000 eggs.

It’s a significant decrease, but you still have plenty to work with if you’re thinking about pregnancy.

👉 After some more advice? 6 Tips for Getting Pregnant in Your 30s

How many eggs do you have at 35?

Around 25,000 to 30,000 eggs remain at 35.

Not a crisis, but fertility does start to dip more noticeably.

👉 Get the full picture: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy After 35

How many eggs does a 40-year-old have?

By 40, you’re looking at about 5,000 to 10,000 eggs.

Egg quality also declines around this age, meaning fewer eggs are chromosomally normal (aka, capable of making a healthy baby).

👉 What are the chances? Pregnant at 40: Success Stories & What You Need to Know

How many eggs does a woman have at 50?

By 50, the number is so low that menopause is kicking in (usually between 45 and 55).

At this point, natural pregnancy is highly unlikely, but hey, no more periods — silver linings!

How many eggs are released during ovulation?

Each cycle, about 1,000 eggs enter a selection process, but only one (sometimes two) gets the golden ticket (ovulation). [2]

The rest? They just fade away — literally.

This is why egg reserves shrink so quickly.

How many eggs does a woman make in a day?

Trick question: zero.

Unlike men, who produce sperm constantly, women don’t make new eggs.

You’re working with what you were born with, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

How to check egg count

If you’re curious about your egg supply, a fertility specialist can help.

The two main ways to check your ovarian reserve are:

1. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) test: Measures AMH levels in your blood, giving an estimate of how many eggs you have left. [3,4,5]
   
2. Antral follicle count (AFC) ultrasound: Uses an ultrasound to count the small follicles in your ovaries, which correlates with egg count. [6]

What are signs of low egg count?

There aren’t really obvious symptoms of a low egg count (AKA “diminished ovarian reserve”), but some indicators are essentially perimenopausal symptoms, like:

• Irregular periods (shorter cycles, missed periods)
• Heavier or lighter period flow
• Difficulty getting pregnant (if you’ve been trying for a while without success)
• Hot flashes (often a sign of perimenopause) [7]
• Night sweats – unexplained sweating, especially at night, can be a sign of hormonal fluctuations
• Vaginal dryness – lower estrogen levels can cause reduced natural lubrication [8]
• Decreased libido – a lower sex drive can sometimes be linked to declining ovarian function [9]
• Mood swings or anxiety – hormonal changes from diminishing egg reserves can impact mood stability [10]

How can I check my egg count at home?

You can do an at-home AMH test to cross-check your rough number of eggs versus what’s ‘expected’ for your age, but it’s best to see a doctor for the most accurate results.

AMH tests (even the at-home versions) are blood tests — unfortunately, there’s no peeing on a stick for this test, you’ll need a good, old-fashioned finger prick blood sample to get your AMH levels.

What age should you check your egg count?

If you’re thinking about kids (now or in the future), you might want to check in your late 20s to early 30s.

If you’re over 35 and trying to conceive, it’s a good idea to get checked sooner rather than later.

But there’s not technically a universal definition of what’s considered a “low egg count” or “low ovarian reserve”, unfortunately, so your egg count is a unique number to you — your healthcare provider will be able to let you know whether it’s worth freezing your eggs or looking into other reproductive technologies or fertility treatments. [11,12]

Is it possible to increase your egg count?

Unfortunately, no, you can’t increase your egg count — but you can improve egg quality.

Unlike sperm, which is constantly being made, women are born with a fixed number of eggs, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

However, there are ways to support ovarian health and improve the quality of the eggs you do have.

How to support egg quality

Although there’s nothing you can do to stop your egg count from decreasing, you can help improve the quality of the eggs you have left.

Here are a few of the ways you can boost your egg quality:

• Lifestyle changes: Eating an antioxidant-rich diet, reducing alcohol, and quitting smoking can improve egg health. [13,14,15]
  
• Supplements: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), DHEA, and folate have been studied for their potential to support egg quality. [16,17,18]
  
• Medical options: For those with diminished ovarian reserve, fertility treatments like IVF with ovarian stimulation can maximize the number of retrievable eggs. [19]

While science hasn’t yet cracked the code on regenerating eggs, research into ovarian stem cells is ongoing, [20]

🥚 Dig deeper: Improving Egg Quality: Expert Tips from a Nutritionist

Your egg supply is on a one-way decline from birth, but that doesn’t mean panic mode.

Fertility isn’t just about numbers — it’s about quality, timing, and a whole lot of other factors.

If you’re concerned, a fertility check-up can give you clarity. Until then, keep living your best life, eggs and all.