International Adoption Facts

Immigrant Visas Issued To Orphans Coming To the United States
 
  FY 2003 FY 2002 FY 2001
1 6,859 - China (Mainland) 5,053 - China (Mainland) 4,681 - China (Mainland)
2 5,209 - Russia 4,939 - Russia 4,279 - Russia
3 2,328 - Guatemala 2,219 - Guatemala 1,870 - South Korea
4 1,790 - South Korea 1,779 - South Korea 1,609 - Guatemala
5 825 - Kazakhstan 1,106 - Ukraine 1,246 - Ukraine
6 702 - Ukraine 819 - Kazakhstan 782 - Romania
7 472 - India 766 - Vietnam 737 - Vietnam
8 382 - Vietnam 466 - India 672 - Kazakhstan
9 272 - Colombia 334 - Colombia 543 - India
10 250 - Haiti 260 - Bulgaria 407 - Colombia
11 214 - Philippines 254 - Cambodia 297 - Bulgaria
12 200 - Romania 221 - Philippines 266 - Cambodia
13 198 - Bulgaria 187 - Haiti 219 - Philippines
14 191 - Belarus 169 - Belarus 192 - Haiti
15 135 - Ethiopia 168 - Romania 158 - Ethiopia
16 124 - Cambodia 105 - Ethiopia 129 - Belarus
17 97 - Poland 101 - Poland 86 - Poland
18 72 - Thailand 67 - Thailand 74 - Thailand
19 62 - Azerbaijan 65 - Peru 73 - Mexico
20 61 - Mexico 61 - Mexico 51 - Jamaica & Liberia (tie)
Year Adoptions
2003 21,616
2002 20,099
2001 19,237
2000 17,718
1999 16,363
1998 15,774
1997 12,743
1996 10,641
1995 8,987
1994 8,333
1993 7,377
1992 6,472
1991 8,481

 
Almost 90 percent of children adopted internationally are less than five years old, while a majority of those adopted from foster care are more than five years old. Almost half of the children adopted internationally are infants, compared with 2 percent of the children adopted from foster care. 64% of children adopted internationally are female and 36% are male, while the percentage for children adopted domestically are split 50-50.
  • 1.6-million "adopted children" are under age 18
  • 1.4-million were domestic adoptions
  • 2.5% of the U.S. population is estimate to be adopted children
  • 2.5% are estimated to be age 18 or over
  • 4.4-million step-kids are under 18
  • 5% of the population is estimated to be step-children
Since 1971, U.S. citizens have adopted more than 265,000 children internationally.
 
Source: US Department of State and statistics.adoptions.com