More twins are being born than ever according to a new study
- Published
- comments
More twins are being born than ever before, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Human Reproduction.
They estimate that that 1 in 40 children are twins!
The rise is thought to be because of a rise in technology helping children to be born in developed countries since the 1970s - meaning twin births are now much easier than they were previously.
Professor Christiaan Monden, of the University of Oxford (UK), one of the study's authors, said: "The numbers of twins in the world are higher than they have ever been since the mid-twentieth century and this is likely to be an all-time high".
Are you a twin? Tell us all about the best bits about being a twin in the comments, and don't forget to take our quiz!
A twin is one of two siblings who were born together. There are several types of twin, but these two are the most common:
Identical: These twins look very similar to each other, are the same gender and share the same blood type.
Fraternal: These are twins who were born together but look different to each other, like a regular sibling - these twins are the most common type.
Scientists collected research from 135 countries between 2010 - 2015 to conduct their study and have concluded that the birth-rate for twins has risen by a third over the past 40 years.
The study also found that the birth rate for identical twins has remained more or less the same, compared to non-identical twin's birth rate rising globally, which is thanks to developments in technology to help with births.
Places that have seen the biggest rises are North America, Europe and Asia. In the UK, the birth rate of twins rose about 62% since the 1980s.
Are you a twin? Let us know in the comments what you love most about being a twin.
If you cannot see the interactive activity on this page, click here.
- Published12 March 2021
- Published12 March 2021
- Published12 March 2021