Humans could face reproductive crisis as sperm count declines, study finds

Global figures suggest sperm concentration has halved in 40 years - and the rate of decline is accelerating

Humans could face a reproductive crisis if action is not taken to tackle a drop in sperm count, researchers have warned after finding the rate of decline is accelerating.

A study published in the journal Human Reproduction Update, based on 153 estimates from men who were probably unaware of their fertility, suggests that the average sperm concentration fell from an estimated 101.2m per ml to 49.0m per ml between 1973 and 2018 - a drop of 51.6%. Total sperm counts fell by 62.3% during the same period.