Same-sex adoption

It's legal for same-sex couples to adopt children in 39 countries, but 1 require marriage first.

DATE

Same-sex adoption

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

Summary

38
Legal
38 regions (19%)
Legal
108
Somewhere in between
108 regions (55%)
Somewhere in between
47
Illegal
47 regions (24%)
Illegal
5
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 regions (3%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
46%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
23 regions (46%)
Somewhere in between
20 regions (40%)
Illegal
7 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
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
50%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
6 regions (50%)
Somewhere in between
5 regions (42%)
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
17 regions (74%)
Illegal
1 regions (4%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (4%)
Africa
2%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
1 regions (2%)
Somewhere in between
39 regions (72%)
Illegal
14 regions (26%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
Asia
5%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
2 regions (5%)
Somewhere in between
17 regions (39%)
Illegal
22 regions (50%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (7%)

Timeline of same-sex adoption

Number of countries to legalize same-sex adoption over the past 30 years.

Recent & Upcoming Changes

Upcoming Changes

2024

2023

2022

Same-sex adoption by Country

Legal

Same-sex adoption is legal in 38 regions.

  1. Asia (2)
  2. Israel 2023
  3. Taiwan 2023
  4. Europe (23)
  5. Andorra 2014
  6. Austria 2015
  7. Belgium 2006
  8. Croatia 2022
  9. Denmark 2009
  10. Estonia 2024
  11. Finland 2017
  12. France 2013
  13. Germany 2017
  14. Greece 2024
  15. Iceland 2006
  16. Ireland 2015
  17. Liechtenstein 2023
  18. Luxembourg 2015
  19. Malta 2014
  20. Netherlands 2000
  21. Norway 2009
  22. Portugal 2016
  23. Slovenia 2022
  24. Spain 2005
  25. Sweden 2002
  26. Switzerland 2021
  27. United Kingdom 2002
  28. North America (4)
  29. Canada 1995
  30. Costa Rica 2020
  31. Cuba 2022
  32. United States 2017
  33. Africa (1)
  34. South Africa 2010
  35. Oceania (2)
  36. Australia 2018
  37. New Zealand 2013
  38. South America (6)
  39. Argentina 2010
  40. Bolivia 2014
  41. Brazil 2015
  42. Chile 2022
  43. Colombia 2015
  44. Uruguay 2009

Married couples only

Same-sex adoption is married couples only in 1 regions.

  1. Africa (1)
  2. Namibia 2023

Single only

Same-sex adoption is single only in 105 regions.

  1. Asia (17)
  2. Bhutan
  3. China 2018
  4. India
  5. Indonesia
  6. Kyrgyzstan 2005
  7. Lebanon
  8. Malaysia 1826
  9. Maldives
  10. Mongolia 2017
  11. Myanmar 2016
  12. Nepal 2017
  13. Palestine
  14. Philippines
  15. Singapore
  16. Syria
  17. Timor-Leste
  18. Vietnam 2000
  19. Europe (18)
  20. Albania 2017
  21. Armenia
  22. Bulgaria
  23. Cyprus
  24. Czech Republic 2014
  25. Georgia
  26. Hungary 2020
  27. Kosovo 2006
  28. Latvia
  29. Lithuania
  30. Moldova 2012
  31. North Macedonia
  32. Poland 1964
  33. Romania 2023
  34. Russia 2023
  35. Slovakia 2017
  36. Turkey
  37. Ukraine 2016
  38. North America (17)
  39. Antigua and Barbuda
  40. Bahamas 2017
  41. Barbados
  42. Belize
  43. Dominica
  44. Dominican Republic
  45. El Salvador
  46. Grenada
  47. Guatemala 2007
  48. Haiti
  49. Honduras 2017
  50. Jamaica 2017
  51. Nicaragua 2017
  52. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  53. Saint Lucia
  54. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  55. Trinidad and Tobago 1947
  56. Africa (38)
  57. Algeria 1966
  58. Angola
  59. Benin
  60. Botswana
  61. Burkina Faso
  62. Burundi
  63. Cape Verde
  64. Central African Republic 2017
  65. Chad
  66. Comoros
  67. Côte d’Ivoire
  68. Democratic Republic of the Congo 2017
  69. Equatorial Guinea
  70. Eritrea 2010
  71. Eswatini 1968
  72. Gabon
  73. Gambia
  74. Ghana
  75. Guinea
  76. Guinea-Bissau
  77. Liberia
  78. Madagascar
  79. Malawi
  80. Mali 2011
  81. Mauritius
  82. Mozambique
  83. Nigeria
  84. Republic of the Congo
  85. Sao Tome and Principe
  86. Senegal 2017
  87. Seychelles
  88. Sierra Leone
  89. Somalia
  90. South Sudan
  91. Sudan
  92. Togo
  93. Tunisia 1957
  94. Zimbabwe
  95. Oceania (10)
  96. Federated States of Micronesia 2017
  97. Kiribati
  98. Marshall Islands
  99. Nauru
  100. Palau
  101. Papua New Guinea
  102. Samoa 2017
  103. Solomon Islands
  104. Tuvalu
  105. Vanuatu
  106. South America (5)
  107. Ecuador 2008
  108. Guyana 2017
  109. Peru
  110. Suriname
  111. Venezuela

Step-child adoption only

Same-sex adoption is step-child adoption only in 2 regions.

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

Illegal

Same-sex adoption is illegal in 47 regions.

  1. Asia (22)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Bahrain
  4. Bangladesh
  5. Brunei 1951
  6. Iran
  7. Iraq
  8. Jordan
  9. Kazakhstan
  10. Kuwait
  11. North Korea 2020
  12. Oman
  13. Pakistan
  14. Qatar 1915
  15. Saudi Arabia 1932
  16. South Korea
  17. Sri Lanka
  18. Tajikistan
  19. Thailand
  20. Turkmenistan
  21. United Arab Emirates
  22. Uzbekistan
  23. Yemen
  24. Europe (7)
  25. Azerbaijan 1999
  26. Belarus
  27. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  28. Monaco
  29. Montenegro 2007
  30. Serbia 2005
  31. Vatican City
  32. North America (1)
  33. Panama 2021
  34. Africa (14)
  35. Cameroon
  36. Djibouti 2017
  37. Egypt
  38. Ethiopia
  39. Kenya 2002
  40. Lesotho 1966
  41. Libya
  42. Mauritania 1983
  43. Morocco
  44. Niger
  45. Rwanda
  46. Tanzania
  47. Uganda
  48. Zambia
  49. Oceania (2)
  50. Fiji
  51. Tonga 2013
  52. South America (1)
  53. Paraguay 2020

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

Data on same-sex adoption is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 5 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. Cambodia
  3. Japan
  4. Laos
  5. North America (1)
  6. Mexico
  7. Antarctica (1)
  8. Antarctica

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