International Adoption from China and India 1992–2018

Abstract

This chapter compares and contrasts trends in international adoption in the two countries over a period of 27 years from 1992 to 2018. The data presented are based on statistics provided by 20+ receiving States. The period reviewed saw a sharp rise in the global number of intercountry adoptions from 14,000 in 1992 to 45,000 in 2005, followed by a steady decline over the next 14 years. During this period, China became the major source for international adoption, accounting for 152,000 of the 700,000 adoptions recorded in these years. In this chapter, changes in the characteristics—e.g. age and gender—of the children chosen for adoption are also explored, focusing on the move towards special needs adoption and the growth in domestic adoption in the two countries.