Same-sex adoption

It's legal for same-sex couples to adopt children in 35 countries, but 0 require marriage first.

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  • Legal
  • Married couples only
  • Single only
  • Step-child adoption only
  • Illegal
  • Varies by region or ambiguous
  • Unknown or N/A

Recent Changes

Same-sex adoption

The ability for same-sex couples to legally adopt a child.

Summary

35
Legal
35 regions (18%)
Legal
111
Somewhere in between
111 regions (56%)
Somewhere in between
44
Illegal
44 regions (22%)
Illegal
8
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 regions (4%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
42%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
21 regions (42%)
Somewhere in between
22 regions (44%)
Illegal
6 regions (12%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (2%)
Oceania
14%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
2 regions (14%)
Somewhere in between
10 regions (71%)
Illegal
2 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
South America
42%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
5 regions (42%)
Somewhere in between
6 regions (50%)
Illegal
1 regions (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
North America
17%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
4 regions (17%)
Somewhere in between
16 regions (70%)
Illegal
2 regions (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (4%)
Africa
2%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
1 regions (2%)
Somewhere in between
38 regions (70%)
Illegal
14 regions (26%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (2%)
Asia
5%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
2 regions (5%)
Somewhere in between
19 regions (43%)
Illegal
19 regions (43%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (9%)

Progress Over Time

Number of countries with equality for same-sex adoption over the past 60 years.
There are no recent changes about Same-sex adoption.

Same-sex adoption by Country

Legal

Same-sex adoption is legal in 35 regions.

  1. Asia (2)
  2. Israel 2008
  3. Taiwan 2023
  4. Europe (21)
  5. Andorra 2014
  6. Austria 2015
  7. Belgium 2006
  8. Croatia 2022
  9. Denmark 2009
  10. Finland 2017
  11. France 2013
  12. Germany 2017
  13. Iceland 2006
  14. Ireland 2015
  15. Liechtenstein 2023
  16. Luxembourg 2015
  17. Malta 2014
  18. Netherlands 2000
  19. Norway 2009
  20. Portugal 2016
  21. Slovenia 2022
  22. Spain 2005
  23. Sweden 2002
  24. Switzerland 2021
  25. United Kingdom 2002
  26. North America (4)
  27. Canada 1995
  28. Costa Rica 2020
  29. Cuba 2022
  30. United States 2017
  31. Africa (1)
  32. South Africa 2010
  33. Oceania (2)
  34. Australia 2018
  35. New Zealand 2013
  36. South America (5)
  37. Argentina 2010
  38. Brazil 2015
  39. Chile 2022
  40. Colombia 2015
  41. Uruguay 2009

Step-child adoption only

Same-sex adoption is step-child adoption only in 3 regions.

  1. Europe (3)
  2. Estonia 2017
  3. Italy 2016
  4. San Marino 2018

No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous

Data on same-sex adoption is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 8 regions.

  1. Europe (1)
  2. Greece
  3. North America (1)
  4. Mexico
  5. Africa (1)
  6. Namibia
  7. Antarctica (1)
  8. Antarctica

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