INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS UP:  2,181 IN 2003

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(June 28, 2004)  In 2003 Canadians adopted 2,181 children from abroad, compared to 1,926 the year before, according to figures from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). While this is an increase of 13%, last year's total did not exceed the peak of 2,222 in 1998.

Intercountry adoptions to Canada have been stable for nine years, running between 1,800 and 2,200 a year:

1995: 2,010
1996: 2,061
1997: 1,800
1998: 2,222
1999: 2,019
2000: 1,866
2001: 1,874
2002: 1,926
2003: 2,181

The 13% increase is almost entirely owing to a surge in adoptions from China. China remains the country of choice for Canadian families. They brought 1,108 Chinese children to new homes here in 2003 -- an increase of 39% in one year.

Moreover, Chinese adoptions represent 51% of all international adoptions. China is by far the preferred country, with the second choice, Haiti, accounting for just 7% of international adoptions.

ADOPTIONS BY COUNTRY  
International adoptions in Canada Top 25 countries
 

2002

2003

China

800

1,108

Haiti

98

149

Russia

146

92

United States

53

74

South Korea

98

73

India

127

70

Philippines

43

56

Belarus

41

50

Vietnam

84

45

Jamaica

37

42

Thailand

38

38

Colombia

38

37

Taiwan

19

26

Georgia

30

25

North Korea

6

24

Cambodia

22

23

Ukraine

37

22

Guyana

13

19

Ethiopia

13

14

Armenia

13

12

Ghana

5

11

Unknown

12

9

Kazakhstan

15

8

Romania

15

8

St. Vincent

10

7

     

  Top 25

1,813

2,042

  Others

113

139

     

Total

1,926

2,181

Increases and decreases in countries other than China tended to balance out. The rise in Haitian adoptions, for example, matched the drop in Russian adoptions.

Ups and downs continue to be a feature of international adoption. The number of adoptions from countries can change significantly from year to year. A variety of factors are at play, such as halts while legislation is changed (Vietnam and other countries), health warnings which suspend some procedures (outbreak of SARS in China in 2003) and political turmoil (Haiti in 2004),

Adoptions are currently halted in Cambodia, Guatemala, Romania, Thailand (partial) and Vietnam.

ADOPTIONS BY PROVINCE
International Adoptions By Province In 2003
 

NL

PEI

NS

NB

QC

ON

MB

SK

AL

BC

Terr.

Canada

China

7

 

48

13

481

402

13

23

25

84

 

1,108

Haiti

       

91

13

 

7

23

5

 

149

Russia

5

     

24

54

         

92

U.S.

     

5

5

22

     

36

 

74

Korea, South

       

41

28

         

73

India

         

31

   

8

26

 

70

Philippines

       

21

12

6

   

11

 

56

Belarus

       

48

           

50

Vietnam

       

39

           

45

Jamaica

         

31

   

8

   

42

Thailand

       

26

       

6

 

38

Colombia

       

29

6

         

37

Taiwan

       

22

           

26

Georgia

         

21

         

25

Korea, North

       

14

8

         

24

Cambodia

       

19

           

23

Ukraine

         

19

         

22

Guyana

         

15

         

19

Ethiopia

         

8

         

14

Armenia

         

8

         

12

Ghana

         

11

         

11

Kazakhstan

                     

8

Romania

                     

8

St. Vincent 

                     

7

Other 

                     

148

                         

Total

15

3

53

25

918

767

40

46

92

211

11

2,181

(Totals are for all countries and all provinces and territories)

Blank entries are numbers from 0 to 3. CIC has suppressed these, citing privacy concerns.

Québec maintained its position as leading destination province, receiving 918 children from abroad. Ontario was second with 767, and British Columbia third with 211.  

"International adoptions by province in 2002" is also available.

ADOPTIONS BY AGE AND SEX
International Adoptions By Age and Sex in 2003
  Females Males
 

0-4

5-9

10-14

Unstated

0-4

5-9

10-14

Unstated

China

1,064

     

31

     

Haiti

77

8

5

 

48

     

Russia

46

     

41

     

U.S.

26

     

31

8

   

Korea, South

23

     

50

     

India

11

7

14

 

9

 

9

 

Philippines

8

8

5

 

20

     

Belarus

15

     

30

     

Vietnam

21

     

16

     

Jamaica

 

7

11

         

Thailand

17

     

17

     

Colombia

12

     

14

6

   

Taiwan

10

     

10

     

Georgia

11

     

14

     

Korea, North

8

     

16

     

Cambodia

       

15

     

Ukraine

12

     

9

     

Guyana

               

Ethiopia

               

Armenia

6

     

6

     

Ghana

               

Kazakhstan

               

Romania

5

             

St. Vincent

               

Total

1,419

56

65

74

422

46

41

58

(Where there are blanks, the number is three or less)

Of the 2,181 adoptions in 2003, 1,614 were girls, and 567 were boys.

Most adopted Chinese children are girls; only 3% are boys. That reflects the high proportion of girls in Chinese orphanages. If we exclude China, the sex distribution would be 51% girls, 49% boys.

"International adoptions by age and sex in 2002" is also available.

ADOPTIONS BY CENSUS METROPOLITAN AREA
Adoptions by CMA, 2002

Montreal

438

Toronto

389

Vancouver

155

Ottawa - Hull

101

Quebec

71

Calgary

55

Winnipeg

33

Hamilton

28

Other CMAs

380

Outside CMAs

182

Not Stated

94

Total    1,926

 

Adoptions by CMA, 2003

Montreal

468

Toronto

402

Vancouver

136

Ottawa - Hull

129

Quebec

90

Hamilton

47

London

38

Edmonton

36

Other CMAs

490

Outside CMAs

234

Not Stated

111

   

Total

2,181

Reflecting Québec's leading position as destination province, Montreal census metropolitan area welcomed the most children from abroad in 2003. Other CMAs with significant numbers of international adoptions include Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa-Hull.

For details on the status of adoption in 16 countries, see "Survey of Countries".

For more on the statistical history of adoption since 1993, see "Canadians Adopt Almost 20,000 Children From Abroad".


Canada has a national photolisting web site, "Canada's Waiting Children", http://www.canadaswaitingkids.ca, run by the Adoption Council of Canada. It shows photos and profiles of children in care of Canadian child welfare agencies and waiting for permanent adoptive families in Canada.


Source: Adoption Council of Canada, www.adoption.ca

Copyright 2004 Adoption Council of Canada. Reproduction permitted, if credited "Source: Adoption Council of Canada, www.adoption.ca".

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