Children adopted into the US from 1999 to 2011 came from China or Russia more than any other countries. During this time, 233,934 international adoptions took place in the US, with almost 67,000 children coming from China and more than 45,000 from Russia. Other popular countries of origin for adopted children included Guatemala, South Korea and Ethiopia. The most common countries for US adoptions often change depending on the countries’ economies and legislature changes. International adoptions in the US declined more than 60% from 2004 to 2011, which is thought to be the result of the tightening of adoption laws to prevent child trafficking. Lower birth rates and reduced stigma on children born out of wedlock are also thought to contribute to fewer children being put up for adoption.
More about adoption in the US:
- International adoptions costs can range from $20,000 US Dollars (USD) to $50,000 USD.
- About 63% of the children adopted into the US are females, which is thought to be the result of other countries placing a higher social importance on males.
- It was estimated in 2011 that more than 17.8 million children worldwide had no living parents and were in need of adoption.