How much human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) indicates pregnancy?

A human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level exceeding 25 mIU/mL is generally considered confirmation of pregnancy.

Human chorionic gonadotropin is an important indicator for determining early pregnancy. Under normal circumstances, serum hCG levels in non-pregnant women are less than 5 mIU/mL. A detected hCG level exceeding 10 mIU/mL usually confirms pregnancy. However, hCG levels rise rapidly during early pregnancy, approximately doubling every two days, until reaching a peak around 8–10 weeks, after which they gradually decline and stabilize. Therefore, a single hCG measurement cannot fully reflect the status of pregnancy and must be interpreted in combination with clinical symptoms and other diagnostic findings.

During non-pregnant periods, normal hCG values are generally below 5 IU/L. Typically, when hCG exceeds 5 IU/L, pregnancy should be considered; if hCG exceeds 10 IU/L, pregnancy can be essentially confirmed. As pregnancy progresses, hCG levels gradually increase. For example, around 10 days after conception, hCG may reach 5 mIU/mL; at approximately 30 days of pregnancy, it may reach 100 mIU/mL; at approximately 40 days of pregnancy, it may reach 2000 mIU/mL; and at approximately 50 days of pregnancy, it may reach 10,000 mIU/mL.