International Adoption Facts

Immigrant Visas Issued To Orphans Coming To the United States


 FY 2008 FY 2007 FY 2006
1 Guatemala 4,123 China 5,453 China 6,493
2 China 3,909 Guatemala 4,728 Guatemala 4,135
3 Russia 1,861 Russia 2,310 Russia 3,706
4 Ethiopia 1,725 Ethiopia 1,255 South Korea 1,376
5 South Korea 1,065 South Korea 939 Ethiopia 732
6 Vietnam 751 Vietnam 828 Kazakhstan 587
7 Ukraine 457 Ukraine 606 Ukraine 460
8 Kazakhstan 380 Kazakhstan 540 Liberia 353
9 India 307 India 416 Colombia 344
10 Colombia 306 Liberia 314 India 320
11 Haiti 302 Colombia 310 Haiti 309
12 Philippines 291 Philippines 265 Philippines 245
13 Taiwan 267 Haiti 190 Taiwan 187
14 Liberia 249 Taiwan 184 Vietnam 163
15 Nigeria 148 Mexico 89 Mexico 70
16 Mexico 103 Poland 84 Poland 67
17 Ghana 101 Thailand 67 Brazil 66
18 Kyrgyzstan 78 Kyrgyzstan 61 Nepal 66
19 Poland 77 Brazil 55 Nigeria 62
20 Thailand 59 Uganda 54 Thailand 56
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

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