1. Newcastle University, England, UK Peter Selman Newcastle University, UK pfselman@yahoo.co.uk June 2015 Twenty years of the Hague Convention: a Statistical Review

2. A Demographic History of ICA Although intercountry adoption is often seen as starting with the adoptions from South Korea after the Korean war, there were also many adoptions during and following World War 2, while the movement of children to distant lands was a feature of British policy from the 19 th century to the 1960s – the story of the child migrants. So the period 1995-2015 is just a small part of the demographic history. Since the end of WW2 I estimate at least one million children have moved to another country for international adoption.

4. Sources of Data for Estimates Few countries sending children for ICA have kept detailed records over the whole period in which such adoptions took place. An exception is Korea, which records 165,000 international adoptions since 1953. For receiving States longest sequences are for USA and Sweden. My estimates are based on data from 20-24 states.

5. SOUTH KOREA 1953-2010

6. Intercountry Adoption 1990-99 199019931995199719991990-99 USA 7,0937,3778,98712,74316,363102,264 France 2,9562,7903,0353,5373,59731,703 Italy n/a1,8962,1612,0192,17714,788 Canada 3201,7402,0201,7952,02015,694 Sweden 1,1139348958341,0199,670 TOTAL14,037 (11) 17,778 (15) 22,723 (19) 26,788 (20) 32,974 (22) 222,758 (11-22)

8. More than 380,000 children were adopted world-wide to 23/4 countries between 2000 and 2009, the most for any decade in history. From 2010-2013 there were a further 88,000 – and 2014 total seems likely to be 12-13,000 so that we can say that since 2000 there have been at least 480,000, nearly half my total estimate of ICA since 1945. From 1995 – 2014 total would be over 600,000. ICA in the 21 st Century

9. Intercountry Adoption 2001-2013 200120042007201020132000-13 USA19,22422,88419,61312,1497,094 234,032 Spain 3,4285,6413,6482,8911,19147.636 France 3,0944,0793,1623,5081,34343,676 Italy 1,7973,4023,4204,1302,82542,048 Canada 1,7741,9491,7151,6601,24323,579 TOTAL 36,286 (23) 45,383 (23) 37,256 (24) 28,843 (24) 16,147 (24) 469,133 (23/4)

10. ICA after the Hague Convention In summary the ten years after the convention came into force saw the largest rise in inter-country adoption in the 70 years since WW2. However, since 2004 there has been a dramatic decline and by 2013 the annual total was the lowest since 1993. In the tables below States of origin which have ratified the convention are in CAPITALS

11. The Impact of the Hague on Numbers Preliminary Document No. 3 looks at this possibility for both receiving States and States of origin (para 61-75) and notes that a decrease in numbers occurred in receiving States joining the convention after 2004 – e.g. Ireland and the USA - but that numbers also fell in most States joining in the preceding decade who had typically experienced an increase after ratification. The next two slides look at States of origin.

12. States with an increase after joining StateYear of EIF Previous 3 yrs Subseqent 3 years Last 3 years 2011-2013 BURKINA FASO 199681101225 MOLDOVA 199819935033 SOUTH AFRICA 2003454735498 HUNGARY 2005265348421 GUATEMALA 20036,50011,53273 MALI 2006304462320 KENYA 2007108189283

13. States with a decrease after joining StateYear of EIF Previous 3 yrs Subseqen t 3 years Last 3 yrs 2011-2013 CHILE1999509187335 LATVIA2002417329391 CHINA200635,83023,62511,896 VIET NAM20122,4791,130 MADAGASCAR20041,020427162 CAMBODIA200762039893 KAZAKHSTAN20101,869245

14. The Decline in ICA 2009 - 2013 The total number of adoptions fell from 45,383 in 2004 to 29,482 in 2009 – a fall of 35%. In the next five years the annual total fell further to 16,147 in 2013 - a decline of 45 per cent. The next slide shows how this varied between the major receiving States

15. Receiving States 2009-2013 200920112013 % Change 2009 to 2013 DENMARK496338174 - 65 % SPAIN3,0062,5731,191 - 60% FRANCE3,0171,9951,343 - 55% ALL STATES29,48223,55116,147 - 45 % USA12,7539,3207,094 - 44 % CANADA1,6951,5131,243 - 37 % ITALY3,9644,0222,825 - 29 %

16. Top 9 States of Origin : 1980-2013 1980-891998200420102013 Korea India Colombia Brazil Sri Lanka Chile Philippines Guatemala Peru Russia China Viet Nam Korea COLOMBIA INDIA Guatemala ROMANIA Brazil China Russia Guatemala Korea Ukraine COLOMBIA Ethiopia Haiti INDIA CHINA Ethiopia Russia Haiti COLOMBIA Viet Nam Korea Ukraine INDIA CHINA Ethiopia Russia Ukraine Congo COLOMBIA Philippines Haiti BULGARIA

18. Intercountry Adoptions from four continents – as % of all 2004200720102013 ASIA 42%40%36%35% EUROPE 31%21%20%23% Latin America 17%23%19%12% AFRICA 7%13%22%28%

19. Adoptions from Asia Since 1998 China has been the most important source of children worldwide: 140,000 adopted between 1992 and 2013. Until 1990 Korea was the main source of children for ICA and by 2013 had sent more than 165,000. In the 1980s 3 of the top 5 states of origin were Asian: Korea, India & Sri Lanka. In 2004 42 per cent of adoptions were from Asia but by 2013 this had fallen to 35 per cent.

21. Adoptions from Asia 2003-2013 200320052007201020132003-13 CHINA 11,23114,483 8,7485,4293,40686,873 Korea 2,332 2,1211,2261,12522715,623 VIET NAM 9311,198 1,698 1,26029511,379 INDIA 1,169 8751,0136073518,438 PHILIPPINES 412508 571 4965345,448 THAILAND 489 4664423033064,236 All Asia 17,608 20,559 14,76710,2385,566 142,273

22. CHINA 2003-2013 Country 2003200520072009201120132014 USA6,8577,9035,4533,0002,5892,3062,040 Spain1,0432,7531,059573677293 Canada1,115960662377288216157 Netherlands 567666365283197136137 Sweden3734622802481075950 France3604581761028799 Italy00023142161 TOTAL11,23114,48 3 8,7485,0124,3733,406

23. INDIA 1998-2013 Country199820022006201120132014 USA478466320228119136 Italy19410213614876 Canada17912736542036 Denmark 120933073 Spain9710979357 Sweden7860382357 TOTAL1,6181,247846627 351

24. Eastern Europe 2003-2013 2003200420082013 Russia7,7379,3844,1321,793 Ukraine2,0522,0211,577642 BULGARIA965387140411 Belarus65661676 ROMANIA471289015 POLAND347420408304 LITHUANIA8510312777 LATVIA6712790131 ALL EUROPE 13,18914,0117,1053,777

25. RUSSIA 2004-2013 200420052007201120132014 US (FY) 5,8654,6392,3109702502 Spain 1,6181,262955712350 Italy 738628492781730 France 445357402286185 Germany 1891111952316646 Israel 957310810267 Total 9,3847,4934,8813,4241,793

26. Intercountry Adoption from Africa For many years intercountry adoption from Africa was rare. However, the growing demand for young infants - and fall in numbers from many other States of origin – has changed all that, notably in Ethiopia, which sent 4,575 children in 2009. Numbers have fallen in most countries since then but rose between 2010 and 2013 in Uganda (82 to 292) and Congo RD (from 181 to 587). Congo has now suspended international adoptions.

27. % of Adoptions from Africa 20032005200720092013 All countries: % of adoptions from Africa 6 %8 %13 %22 %28 % % of adoptions to USA from Africa 2 %4 %9 %23 %30 % % of adoptions to France from Africa 24 %26 %29 %33 %42% % of adoptions to Spain from Africa 4 %5 %15 %26 %23 %

28. TOP AFRICAN STATES 2012-3 20132012200920072003 Ethiopia 2,0052,8004,5753,034855 Congo DR 5875181566526 Uganda 292249745712 Nigeria 2432661858364 Sth AFRICA 222173292212188 Ghana 1901861215818 Mali 13154196158136 All Africa 4,4505,2926,5104,8202,344

29. Standardised Rates 2009 AFRICA Adoptions per 1,000 births Other Countries Adoptions per 1,000 births Peak rate (year) Ethiopia1.28HAITI4.529.6 (2010) Ghana0.5Ukraine3.245.0 (2003) Cote d’Ivoire 0.4Korea3.1613.3 (1985) MALI0.35Russia2.597.7 (2004) S AFRICA0.27 Guatemala 1.7510.8 (2007) Congo RD0.05CHINA0.280.8 (2005) Nigeria0.03INDIA0.030.05 (2003)

30. Adoption from Latin America In the 1980s six of the top 10 sending countries were from Latin America. In 2008 there were three Guatemala, Colombia and Haiti; by 2013 only one: Colombia. By 2008, Haiti had became a major source for France, Canada, the Netherlands and the USA, peaking in 2010 after the earthquake. Brazil still sends 3-500 children a year but most are older or have special needs. Chile and El Salvador send less than 100 a year, compared to 5,000+ and 2,000+ respectively between 1980 and 1989.

31. Latin America 2003-2013 200320052007201020132000-13 GUATEMALA2,6763,8734,854582624,164 COLOMBIA1,7501,4721,6351,82856616,152 HAITI1,0499227552,48954611,124 BRAZIL4724794853802414,691 PERU114174171241111,577 BOLIVIA27425215273221,564 MEXICO122163181117371,354

32. The Changing Profile of ICA “Special Needs” adoption is becoming more common and there are a number of other characteristics of international adoptions which have changed alongside the global decline in numbers – older age of children placed and increased number of sibling groups.

33. Age of Children Adopted in Key receiving States 2005-2013 200520092013 % over 5 % under 1 % over 5 % under 1 % over 5 % under 1 Italy 47%6%58%7%53%5% France 24%32%34%21%43%8% USA 16%42%25% n/a Iceland 6%17%29%6% n/a Australia 8%47%9%37%19%22%

34. SPECIAL NEEDS ADOPTION For the 2010 Hague Special Commission, states were asked to indicate how many of the children adopted had “special needs”, defined as “those who may be suffering from a behaviour disorder or trauma, physically or mentally disabled, older children (usually above 7 years of age) or are part of a sibling group” There remains a lack of agreement about what exactly the term covers – Italy has ‘speciale’ and ‘particolare’ The issue of special needs adoption is seen as a key topic for this Special Commission

35. Children with special needs - selected sending countries (Hague ) 200520092013 CHILE100% 75% LATVIA53%80%97% ALBANIA59%66%n/a LITHUANIA30%71% CHINA9%49%n/a

36. % of Children Adopted from China with special needs (Hague) 200520072009 Sweden6%25% 69% Netherlands13%42% 66% USA14%42% 61% All States9%30% 49% France6%13% 34% Norway0.1%7% 28% Spain0.1%4% 9%