what do we know about adoption? - united nations · what do we know about adoption? ... century bc)...

What do we know about adoption?

Clare Menozzi

United Nations Population DivisionPopulation Association of America

New Orleans, 17 April 2008

United Nations Population DivisionUnited Nations Population Division

What is an adoption?

Legal act:Creates a tie equivalent to natural filiation

Mutual rights and responsibilities (intestate succession, acquisition of name, acquisition of citizenship)

Permanent


Historical roots…

Laws of Solon (Athens, 6th century BC)

Institutes of Justinian (Rome, 6th century AD)

Code of Hammurabi (Babylon, 18th century BC)


Simple adoption


De facto adoption


Kafalah


How many adoptions take place each year?

260,000 adoptions per year (based on data for 118 countries)

Relatively rare event2 per 1,000 births12 per 100,000 persons under age 18


A few countries account for most adoptions

0 40,000 80,000 120,000

India Italy

Kazakhstan Guatemala

Republic of Korea Canada

BrazilFrance

Spain Germany

United Kingdom Ukraine

Russian Federation China

United States

Number of adoptions


Adoptions of children under age 18 per 100,000 children under 18


Domestic adoptions

220,000 per year

85 per cent of all adoptions

Are 50 per cent or more of all adoptions in:• China• Russian Federation • United Kingdom• United States• …


Domestic adoptions New Zealand

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

Num

ber o

f ado

ptio

ns


Domestic adoptions India, Republic of Korea and Sri Lanka

0

400

800

1,200

1,600

2,000

2,400

1989 1993 1997 2001

Num

ber o

f ado

ptio

ns

Sri Lanka

Korea

India


Adoptions by step-parents and relatives

More than half of domestic adoptions are by a step-parent or a relative

• Gambia• Germany• Haiti• New Zealand• …

Adoptions by a step-parent have been declining due to policy changes


0

250

500

750

1,000

1,250

1988 1993 1998 2003

Adoptions by step-parents Australia

Num

ber o

f ado

ptio

ns

Domestic adoptions

Adoptions by step-parents


Intercountry adoptions Countries of origin

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000

South Africa Haiti

Madagascar Belarus Ethiopia

Colombia Kazakhstan

Bulgaria India

Viet Nam Republic of Korea

Ukraine Guatemala

Russian Federation China

Number of adoptions


Major countries of origin of intercountry adoption

1980-1989 1998-2006Republic of Korea China India Russian Federation Colombia Guatemala Brazil Ukraine Sri Lanka Republic of Korea Chile Viet Nam Philippines India Guatemala Bulgaria Peru Kazakhstan El Salvador Colombia


0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

1994 1997 2000 2003

Intercountry adoptions from Romania

Num

ber o

f ado

ptio

ns


Major countries of origin

0 2,000 4,000 6,000

MadagascarBrazil

ThailandBulgaria

HaitiEthiopia

Colombia

CambodiaKazakhstanGuatemala

KoreaRussiaChina

Northern America West European countries

Number of adoptions


Intercountry adoptions Countries of destination

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000

IrelandAustralia Belgium

Singapore Switzerland

Norway Denmark

NetherlandsSweden

Canada Germany

Italy Spain

France United States

Number of adoptions


Intercountry adoptions France, Spain and Sweden

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Num

ber o

f ado

ptio

ns France

Spain

Sweden


0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005

Intercountry adoptions United States

Num

ber o

f ado

ptio

ns

Guatemala

China

Korea

Russia

Other


0

2

4

6

8

Countries ofdestination

Countries of origin

Domestic adoption Intercountry adoption

Mean age of adopted children (Median value for 16 countries)

Mea

n ag

e (Y

ears

)


Boys or girls? Singapore

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2000 2001 2002 2000 2001 2002

Boys Girls

Num

ber o

f ado

ptio

ns

Domestic adoptions Intercountry adoptions


Children adopted from abroad by sex Denmark, Ireland and Norway (2003)

Country of origin

Number of adoptions

Percentage of girls

China 502 97Colombia 174 41Ethiopia 76 54India 113 72Korea 123 30Russia 174 43Viet Nam 73 74


0 200,000 400,000 600,000

UnitedKingdom

RussianFederation

UnitedStates

Number of children

Adoptable children

Children in care


Childless persons

Persons with children (biological or adopted)

Step-parents and relatives

Who is adopting?


Improving data on adoption

Countries providing data on Number All adoptions 118Of which

Both domestic and intercountry adoptions 88

Sex of the adopted person 39Age of the adopted person 26Relationship to the adopted person 22Sex of the adoptive parent 5Age of the adoptive parent 4


http://www.unpopulation.org United Nations Population Division

E-mail alerts

what do we know about adoption? - united nations · what do we know about adoption? ... century bc)...

Documents