Adoptions, 2014

There were 142 inter-country adoptions and 158 adoptions of stepchildren in 2014. The number of inter-country adoptions has decreased significantly since the mid-2000s. The number of adoptions of stepchildren has varied between 150 and 180 in the last five years.

Among the children adopted from abroad, most are from Asia and most are boys

A total of 60 children were adopted from Asia in 2014, which is 42 per cent of all inter-county adoptions in 2014. A total of 21 children were adopted from South Korea, 17 from the Philippines and 16 from China.

A total of 41 children were adopted from South and Central-America, or 29 per cent of all children adopted from abroad. Twenty children were adopted from Colombia and 14 were from Chile. A total of 31 children were adopted from Africa, 16 of whom were from South Africa.

In 2014, 96 boys and 46 girls were adopted from abroad. More boys than girls have been adopted from all the major adoption countries. Traditionally, it was mainly girls that were adopted from China. The number of boys adopted from China has increased every year since 2009, while the number of adopted girls has fallen considerably. In 2004, 265 girls were adopted from China. Ten years later, in 2014, the number of girls adopted has fallen to just five.

Eight out of ten children adopted from abroad were under 5 years old, and 44 per cent were in the age group 0-2 years.

Stepchildren older than children adopted from abroad

A total of 158 stepchildren were adopted in 2014, 65 per cent of whom were girls. Stepchildren are older than the children adopted from abroad. Seventy-five per cent were 5 years or older, while the corresponding proportion among children adopted from abroad was 19 per cent. Twenty-two per cent were in the age group 0-2 years.

Seventy-three per cent were adopted by their stepfather, 22 per cent by their stepmother and 5 per cent by a partner in a partnership.