On August 28, 2024, the Chinese government announced that they would abolish international adoptions. This decision appears to be related to the downward trend in the Chinese population.
In 1992, China began allowing international adoptions as the country was opening up under its “One-Child” policy, which restricted Chinese families to having only one child. Many families were forced to abandon their children, commonly girls and children with disabilities.
In recent years, China has faced a declining population crisis. In 2024, China’s birth rate dropped to 10.478 births per 1,000 people, nearly half of the birth rate recorded in 1992 when China initiated foreign adoptions. Despite attempts to restore the birth rate, such as modifying the policy to allow three children, upgrading maternity leave, and offering tax deductions, China’s fertility rate continues to decline.
Over the past three decades, approximately 160,000 Chinese children have been adopted internationally, with about half of them adopted by families in the U.S. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant decline in the number of international adoptions. According to the U.S. State Department, China suspended international adoptions in 2020 to “ensure the health and safety” of the children. In 2021 and 2022, no Chinese children were adopted by U.S. families, and only sixteen children were placed with families abroad in 2023.
As a result, in August 2024, the Chinese government officially closed the door to international adoptions, with the exception of close relatives, such as children of blood relatives or stepchildren. This prohibition has left many American families, who were in the process of adopting Chinese children, in a difficult and uncertain situation.
By. Minkyu Jung