2008 INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION STATISTICS

News item has been prepared by the Adoption Council of Canada (ACC) and Family Helper.

(October 26, 2009). On Friday, the Adoption Council of Canada (ACC) received the 2008 international adoption statistics from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

In 2008, 1,908 children from abroad found adoptive homes in Canada. This is an increase from 2007 and marks a return to numbers last seen in 2004.

1995: 2,010     1998: 2,222     2001: 1,874     2004: 1,955     2007: 1,713 
1996: 2,061     1999: 2,019     2002: 1,926     2005: 1,871     2008: 1,908
1997: 1,800     2000: 1,866     2003: 2,180     2006: 1,535

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS TO CANADA, 2003-2008

TOP 16 COUNTRIES, BY YEAR  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Country of birth

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

China

1,113

1,001

973

608

662

429

U.S.

74

81

102

96

94

189

Ethiopia

14

34

31

61

134

183

Haiti

150

159

115

123

88

148

Philippines

58

62

70

53

90

118

South Korea

73

97

97

102

50

105

Vietnam

45

--

--

34

82

105

Russia

92

106

88

95

96

90

Ukraine

23

16

39

23

45

62

India

70

37

41

36

45

54

Colombia

37

38

18

31

34

53

Kazakhstan

8

--

--

10

37

48

Jamaica

43

23

22

19

20

22

Thailand

38

40

21

21

14

18

Belarus

50

32

--

--

--

--

Taiwan

26

15

30

--

--

--

Total, top 16 countries

1,768

1,655

1,586

1,239

1,386

1,624

Total, other countries

412

300

285

296

327

284

Grand Total

2,180

1,955

1,871

1,535

1,713

1,908

Given the recent changes to citizenship processes for internationally adopted children, CIC now tracks international adoptions via both the permanent residency and the direct citizenship routes.

Note that CIC highlights the difference between “permanent residency” (immigration) and “direct citizenship” at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/adoption/differences.asp.

In 2008, 1,208 adoptions went through the permanent residency route while 700 adoptions were tracked in direct citizenship. The charts below highlight the figures from each route:

CANADA - PERMANENT RESIDENTS (ADOPTIONS ONLY) BY TOP 16 SOURCE COUNTRIES, 2003-2008
Immigration Route

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top 16 Source Countries

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

China

1,113

1,001

973

608

662

233

Ethiopia

14

34

31

61

134

146

Haiti

150

159

115

123

88

103

Philippines

58

62

70

53

90

101

United States of America

74

81

102

96

94

97

Korea, Republic of

73

97

97

102

50

86

Russia

92

106

88

95

96

67

India

70

37

41

36

45

41

Ukraine

23

16

39

23

45

40

Kazakhstan

8

--

--

10

37

38

Vietnam, Socialist Republic of

45

--

--

34

81

33

Colombia

37

38

18

31

34

25

Jamaica

43

23

22

19

20

19

Thailand

38

40

21

21

14

10

Belarus

50

32

--

--

--

--

Taiwan

26

15

30

--

--

--

Total - Top 16 Source Countries

1,768

1,655

1,586

1,239

1,385

952

Total - Other Countries

412

300

285

296

327

256

Grand Total

2,180

1,955

1,871

1,535

1,712

1,208

 

NUMBER OF GRANTED 5.1 GRANTED ADOPTIONS BY COUNTRY OF BIRTH

FOR CALENDAR YEARS 2007 AND 2008

Direct Citizenship Route

 

 

 

 

Top 10 Source Countries

2007

2008

China

0

196

U.S.

0

92

Vietnam 

1

72

Haiti

0

45

Ethiopia

0

37

Colombia

0

28

Russia

0

23

Ukraine

0

22

South Korea

0

19

Philippines

0

17

Total - Top 10 Source Countries

1

551

Total - Other Countries

0

149

Grand Total

1

700


CIC also breaks down the figures by province, territory, and urban area:

CANADA - PERMANENT RESIDENTS (ADOPTIONS ONLY) BY PROVINCE/TERRITORY AND URBAN AREA, 2003-2008
Immigration Route

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urban Area

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Calgary

34

36

48

50

48

42

Edmonton

36

31

35

31

48

45

Other Alberta

22

23

29

26

28

23

Total - Alberta

92

90

112

107

124

110

Vancouver

137

124

156

151

175

119

Victoria

19

20

25

23

16

21

Other British Columbia

55

83

88

89

71

70

Total - British Columbia

211

227

269

263

262

210

Winnipeg

28

28

30

35

42

41

Other Winnipeg

12

10

12

20

22

18

Total - Manitoba

40

38

42

55

64

59

Saint John

--

6

--

0

--

--

Other New Brunswick

--

28

--

17

--

--

Total - New Brunswick

25

34

32

17

26

22

St. John's

8

6

--

8

5

--

Other Newfoundland and Labrador

7

7

--

8

9

--

Total - Newfoundland and Labrador

15

13

7

16

14

--

Yellowknife

--

--

--

--

0

--

Other Northwest Territories

--

0

--

0

0

0

Total - Northwest Territories

--

--

5

--

0

--

Halifax

22

27

32

20

13

9

Other Nova Scotia

31

26

28

27

18

12

Total - Nova Scotia

53

53

60

47

31

21

Other Nunavut

0

--

0

0

0

0

Total - Nunavut

0

--

0

0

0

0

Hamilton

47

33

31

25

33

18

London

41

20

25

26

22

17

Ottawa - Gatineau (ON)

80

69

77

55

88

54

Toronto

404

341

344

243

308

203

Other Ontario

195

210

202

145

194

121

Total - Ontario

767

673

679

494

645

413

Charlottetown

--

--

--

--

--

--

Other Prince Edward Island

--

--

--

--

--

--

Total - Prince Edward Island

--

5

--

--

6

5

Ottawa - Gatineau (QC)

49

29

31

18

17

11

Montréal

467

404

331

264

251

161

Québec

91

73

65

48

47

42

Other Quebec

311

277

188

157

170

102

Total - Quebec

918

783

615

487

485

316

Regina

13

10

15

9

14

14

Saskatoon

9

9

10

17

13

14

Other Saskatchewan

24

10

17

16

24

17

Total - Saskatchewan

46

29

42

42

51

45

Whitehorse

5

--

--

--

--

--

Other Yukon

0

--

0

0

0

0

Total - Yukon

5

8

--

--

--

--

Grand Total

2,180

1,955

1,871

1,535

1,712

1,208


NUMBER OF GRANTED 5.1 ADOPTIONS BY PROVINCE OF DESTINATION

FOR CALENDAR YEARS 2007 AND 2008
Direct Citizenship Route

 

 

 

 

 

Province / Territory

2007

2008

Alberta

0

49

British Columbia

0

101

Manitoba

0

6

New Brunswick

0

8

Newfoundland and Labrador

0

0

Northwest Territories

0

0

Nova Scotia

0

6

Nunavut

0

0

Ontario

0

187

Prince Edward Island

0

2

Quebec

1

209

Saskatchewan

0

13

Yukon

0

1

Other/Unspecified

0

118

Grand Total

1

700

 

 

 

It is also always interesting to note the breakdown by age and gender:

CANADA - PERMANENT RESIDENTS (ADOPTIONS ONLY) BY AGE GROUP AND GENDER, 2003-2008
Immigration Route

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Age Group

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

0 to 4 Years of Age

1,424

1,300

1,194

873

950

535

5 to 9 Years of Age

55

52

59

45

80

63

10 to 14 Years of Age

64

42

54

44

59

41

15 Years of Age or more

74

66

66

61

51

59

Total - Female

1,617

1,460

1,373

1,023

1,140

698

0 to 4 Years of Age

416

391

371

406

431

388

5 to 9 Years of Age

45

31

40

48

46

50

10 to 14 Years of Age

43

29

29

27

36

37

15 Years of Age or more

58

42

58

30

59

35

Total - Male

562

493

498

511

572

510

0 to 4 Years of Age

--

--

0

0

0

0

5 to 9 Years of Age

0

0

0

--

0

0

Total - Gender Not Stated

--

--

0

--

0

0

Grand Total

2,180

1,955

1,871

1,535

1,712

1,208


NUMBER OF GRANTED 5.1 ADOPTIONS BY AGE GROUP AND GENDER

FOR CALENDAR YEARS 2007 AND 2008
Direct Citizenship Route

 

 

 

 

Age Group

2007

2008

1 to 4 Years of Age

0

265

5 to 9 Years of Age

0

74

10 to 14 Years of Age

0

22

15 Years of Age or more

0

47

Total - Female

0

408

1 to 4 Years of Age

1

148

5 to 9 Years of Age

0

70

10 to 14 Years of Age

0

30

15 Years of Age or more

0

33

Total - Male

0

281

1 to 4 Years of Age

0

5

5 to 9 Years of Age

0

0

10 to 14 Years of Age

0

0

15 Years of Age or more

0

6

Total - Gender Unspecified

0

11

Grand Total

1

700

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For previous reports on international adoption, see:

(January 7, 2009) CHINA STILL THE CANADIAN FAVOURITE FOR INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION: 2007 STATISTICS, http://www.adoption.ca/Intl%20Stats%200109.htm

(August 16, 2007)
DOWNWARD TREND CONTINUES: CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION CANADA RELEASES STATISTICS FOR 2006, http://www.adoption.ca/ACCArticle_2006Stats.htm

(August 17, 2006) INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS DOWN IN 2005, http://www.adoption.ca/news/news08172006_stats2005.htm

(May 27, 2005) CHINA LEADS ADOPTION STATISTICS FOR 2004, http://www.adoption.ca/news/050527stats04.htm

(June 28, 2004)  INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS UP: 2,181 IN 2003, http://www.adoption.ca/news/040628stats03.htm

(Dec. 12, 2003)  CANADIANS ADOPT ALMOST 20,000 CHILDREN FROM ABROAD, http://www.adoption.ca/news/031212cicstats.htm

(May 6, 2003)  INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS STEADY IN CANADA, http://www.adoption.ca/news/030506stats02.htm

QUESTIONS?

Please send your questions to the Adoption Council of Canada, 1-888-54-ADOPT or info@adoption.ca.