Adoption numbers continue to fall

Published:

A total of 349 adoptions were carried out in Norway in 2016, which is the lowest recorded figure since statistics on adoption were first produced in the 1960s.

The number of children being adopted internationally into Norway continues to decline. The highest number of inter-country adoptions was in 2002, with nearly 800 adoptions. The corresponding figure for 2016 was 126.

The number of step-children adoptions has varied between 150 and 180 in the last seven years. A total of 150 step-children were adopted in 2016, 10 fewer than the previous year.

The number of foster-child adoptions was 61 in 2016.

Figure 1. Adoptions, by type of adoption

Inter-country adoptions Stepchildren Other Total
1970 109 226 417 752
1971 149 255 346 750
1972 199 425 217 841
1973 287 371 205 863
1974 387 454 200 1041
1975 287 458 166 911
1976 372 541 181 1094
1977 400 533 138 1071
1978 354 475 135 964
1979 265 430 131 826
1980 275 461 187 923
1981 348 364 162 874
1982 522 348 115 985
1983 467 296 102 865
1984 495 359 112 966
1985 426 257 91 774
1986 480 262 103 845
1987 465 231 91 787
1988 566 229 85 880
1989 578 249 91 918
1990 563 197 95 855
1991 549 196 88 833
1992 564 184 103 851
1993 543 170 73 786
1994 545 162 81 788
1995 605 192 101 898
1996 523 220 79 822
1997 534 213 67 814
1998¹ 795 210 89 1094
1999 527 207 68 802
2000 657 105 30 792
2001 711 162 35 908
2002 785 157 47 989
2003 656 158 56 870
2004 652 101 38 791
2005 704 138 48 890
2006 438 174 45 657
2007 417 236 50 703
2008 298 223 32 553
2009 346 205 40 591
2010 343 153 32 528
2011 297 148 46 491
2012 231 180 46 457
2013 154 165 63 382
2014 142 158 68 368
2015 132 160 62 354
2016 126 150 73 349

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