Adoptions, 2012

The number of inter-country adoptions continues to fall, and is at its lowest since the early 1970s. This is partly because fewer children are released for adoption to other countries. After a decrease in the number of step-children adopted in the last two years, the number increased in 2012.

Most children from China

Twenty-two per cent of the children adopted from abroad in 2012 came from China, 17 per cent came from Colombia and 13 per cent from South Korea. From 2000 to 2010, most of the children adopted from abroad came from China. In 2011, most children came from Colombia, while in 2012 most of the children again came from China.

Boys from China and South Korea overrepresented

In 2012, there were 134 boys and 97 girls adopted from abroad. Of these, 48 per cent were under 3 years old, while 35 per cent were 3 or 4 years old. Almost twice as many boys as girls were adopted from China. Previously, it was mainly girls that were adopted from China. The number of boys adopted from China has increased from 2 per cent in 2005 to 65 per cent in 2012. In the same period, the number of adopted children from China has fallen from 326 to 51. From Colombia there were almost as many boys as girls adopted. From South Korea the majority of children adopted were boys, and only 5 out of 29 were girls.

The figures related to the total population show that the counties of Akershus and Hordaland had the highest annual number of inter-country adoptions per 100 000 inhabitants on average in the period 2008-2012. Hedmark had the lowest numbers.

Step-children older than the children adopted from abroad

With regard to the adoption of step-children, the same number of boys and girls were adopted in 2012, and they were older than the children adopted from abroad. Thirty-eight per cent were under 3 years old, 31 per cent were in the age group 3-17 years and 32 per cent were 18 years or older. Fifty-eight per cent were adopted by their step-father, 37 per cent by their step-mother and 5 per cent by a partner in a partnership. The counties of Hedmark and Oppland had no step-children adoptions in 2012, while the counties of Oslo and Akershus had most, with 38 and 28 respectively.