A Pew Research Center analysis of the most recent State Department data has found that the number of international adoptions by U.S. parents dropped 94% between 2004, when there were almost 23,000 and 2023, which saw only 1,275.
The U.S. trend aligns with that of other countries that have previously recorded relatively high rates of international adoptions. Between 2007 and 2011, Italy’s number hovered around 4,000 a year. By 2023, that number had fallen to 1,213. Spain has dropped its international adoptions from a high of around 5,500 in 2003 to a low of 194 in 2023.
Pew’s analysis suggests the decline is due to tighter regulations from countries that previously accounted for a large share of international adoptions in the U.S. Over the first quarter of this century, most U.S. international adoptions have come from China, Russia, Guatemala, South Korea or Ethiopia. The Pew analysis documented actions each country has taken to either prohibit or slow the rate of adoptions from their countries.
In addition to examining international adoption trends, the Pew analysis also highlighted the significant increase in international surrogacy arrangements and their associated financial impact. The analysis cited a Global Market Insights study that projects the global surrogacy market will skyrocket to $129 billion in 2032, up from $6 billion in 2018.
Pew’s analysis noted international adoptions among nations that participated in the 1993 Hague Convention are heavily regulated, while there is no global regulatory body for international surrogacy arrangements.
More information on Pew’s analysis can be found here.
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