Australia Vasectomies Rise from 22,230 in 2015 to 36,317 in 2025

Medicare data recorded 36,317 vasectomies performed in Australia in 2025, up from 22,230 in 2015. Of the 699,473 procedures logged between January 2000 and December 2025, 210,105 took place in the last five calendar years. Dr.

Nikolas Katelaris, a procedural GP in Sydney who has performed more than 2,000 vasectomies, said demand has increased in recent years. He identified two main drivers: men assuming more responsibility for contraception and the expense of raising larger families. The typical patient is a man in his 30s or 40s who already has children and considers his family complete.

Appointments last under 30 minutes and cost between $400 and $1,000 after the Medicare rebate. The procedure cuts and seals the vas deferens to prevent sperm from entering semen. Katelaris has also seen more men in their early 20s without children request the operation.

He discourages this group because reversal rates reach 11.1 percent for procedures performed between ages 20 and 24, compared with 2.4 percent overall. Success rates for reversals completed within eight years stand at 70 to 80 percent. Five men described their decisions.

Alex, 35, a copywriter, chose the procedure after multiple miscarriages and learning his daughter carries a rare genetic variant that would require IVF for any future children. Tom, 60, a business owner, acted after his girlfriend experienced an ectopic pregnancy and he already had four children from a prior relationship.

Toby, 44, a media professional, said he wanted to avoid repeating patterns from his upbringing and did not want children given the state of the world.