When the United States began to publish an annual report on intercountry adoption numbers in the year 2000, the roster of countries looked very different from last year’s list. International adoption is changing rapidly. Many of the countries that have helped form American families for the past two decades by allowing the international adoption of their children. Many countries are beginning to close their doors to the practice.
The list of countries prohibiting adoption becomes longer each year and now includes Ethiopia (last year’s #2 country for international adoption). Other major players that have banned the practice, either from Americans or the world at large, include Vietnam, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Nepal, and Russia. The former countries mentioned used to be some of the largest contributors to American adoptive families. Since the height of international adoption in 2004, the United States (and other receiver countries) have continued to experience a decline in the number of children received.
Despite the discouraging news, we’ve compiled a list of the top 14 countries that continue to grant American adoptive families the opportunity to form families through international adoption. This information is based on last year’s annual report on intercountry adoption.
