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Trends in International Adoption - 2004 to 2008

International Adoption is just one of many ways in which parents can adopt a child. Children from all over the globe are waiting for their forever families and the statistics below show that Americans are responding to their plight. Unlike the United States, many countries don't have a domestic social system which allows children without a family to live in a home environment. Children in these countries are often placed in group homes or orphanages where they stay until their family finds them or until they've become old enough to live and support themselves on their own. "Institutionalization damages children in ways that last a lifetime," said Tom DiFilipo, President & CEO of Joint Council on International Children's Services. "Virtually all major child welfare professional agree that institutionalization is the least favorable settings for children."

The number of children adopted internationally in the U.S. is estimated by the number of orphan (IR-3/IR-4 or IH-3/IH-4) visas that have been issued, as reported by The State Department. Yearly, The DoS publishes these totals on their web site for the public to view.

As laws change in the United States as well as in the country in which the children adopted internationally originate, the number of children who come to the U.S. for international adoption will fluctuate. However, the fact remains, over the course of the last four years, China, Russia and Guatemala have been the three counties in which the most children have become U.S. Citizens through International Adoption.

*NOTE: All statistics given correspond with the U.S. Government fiscal year, which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. For example: Adoption statistics for 2008 = Number of adoptions from October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008.

Below is a total number of international adoption visas issued by The State Department in their respective year. For a break down of the originating countries, scroll down below.

ANNUAL TOTAL OF ADOPTIONS FROM 2003-2008

2008: 17,438
2007: 19,613
2006: 20,679
2005: 22,739
2004: 22,884
2003: 21,616

Changes in the top 20 can be seen in this table:

	FY 2008	FY 2007	FY 2006	FY 2005	FY 2004
1	Guatemala 4,123	China 5,453	China 6,493	China 7,906	China 7,044
2	China 3,909	Guatemala 4,728	Guatemala 4,135	Russia 4,639	Russia 5,865
3	Russia 1,861	Russia 2,310	Russia 3,706	Guatemala 3,783	Guatemala 3,264
4	Ethiopia 1,725	Ethiopia 1,255	South Korea 1,376	South Korea 1,630	South Korea 1,716
5	South Korea 1,065	South Korea 939	Ethiopia 732	Ukraine 821	Kazakhstan 826
6	Vietnam 751	Vietnam 828	Kazakhstan 587	Kazakhstan 755	Ukraine 723
7	Ukraine 457	Ukraine 606	Ukraine 460	Ethiopia 441	India 406
8	Kazakhstan 380	Kazakhstan 540	Liberia 353	India 323	Haiti 356
9	India 307	India 416	Colombia 344	Colombia 291	Ethiopia 289
10	Colombia 306	Liberia 314	India 320	Philippines 271	Colombia 287
11	Haiti 302	Colombia 310	Haiti 309	Haiti 234	Belarus 202
12	Philippines 291	Philippines 265	Philippines 245	Liberia 183	Philippines 196
13	Taiwan 267	Haiti 190	Taiwan 187	Taiwan 141	Bulgaria 110
14	Liberia 249	Taiwan 184	Vietnam 163	Mexico 88	Poland 102
15	Nigeria 148	Mexico 89	Mexico 70	Poland 73	Mexico 89
16	Mexico 103	Poland 84	Poland 67	Thailand 72	Liberia 86
17	Ghana 101	Thailand 67	Brazil 66	Brazil 66	Nepal 73
18	Kyrgyzstan 78	Kyrgyzstan 61	Nepal 66	Nigeria 65	Nigeria 71
19	Poland 77	Brazil 55	Nigeria 62	Jamaica 63	Brazil 69
20	Thailand 59	Uganda 54	Thailand 56	Nepal 62	Thailand 69

Credits: The U.S. Department of State

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