Same-sex adoption
It's legal for same-sex couples to adopt children in 49 countries, but 0 require marriage first.
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- Legal
- Married couples only
- Single only
- Step-child adoption only
- Illegal
- Unknown, N/A, or ambiguous
Recent Changes
- May 26 2022Became Legal in Croatia
- Dec 9 2021Became Legal in Chile
- Sep 26 2021Became Legal in Switzerland
- Mar 1 2021Became Illegal in Panama
- Dec 15 2020Became Illegal in Hungary
- May 26 2020Became Legal in Costa Rica
- Aug 20 2018Became Married couples only in Florida
- Apr 20 2018Became Legal in Australia
Same-sex adoption
The ability for same-sex couples to legally adopt a child.
Summary
Progress over time
Number of countries with equality for same-sex adoption over the past 60 years.
Recent changes
- CroatiaLegalMay 26, 2022
- ChileLegalDec 9, 2021
- SwitzerlandLegalSep 26, 2021
- PanamaIllegalMar 1, 2021
- HungaryIllegalDec 15, 2020
- Costa RicaLegalMay 26, 2020
- Florida, United StatesMarried couples onlyAug 20, 2018
- AustraliaLegalApr 20, 2018
- AustraliaLegalApr 20, 2018
- Northern Territory, AustraliaLegalMar 13, 2018
Same-sex adoption by country
(and dependent territories)Legal
Same-sex adoption is legal in 49 regions.
- Asia (1)
- Israel 2008
- Europe (20)
- Andorra 2014
- Austria 2015
- Belgium 2006
- Croatia 2022
- Denmark 2009
- Finland 2017
- France 2013
- Germany 2017
- Iceland 2006
- Ireland 2015
- Isle of Man 2011
- Luxembourg 2015
- Malta 2014
- Netherlands 2000
- Norway 2009
- Portugal 2015
- Spain 2005
- Sweden 2002
- Switzerland 2021
- United Kingdom 2002
- North America (7)
- Bermuda 2015
- Canada 1995
- Costa Rica 2020
- Greenland 2015
- Guadeloupe
- Martinique
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2013
- Africa (6)
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Mauritius 2008
- Mayotte 2013
- Réunion 2013
- Saint Helena
- South Africa 2010
- Oceania (8)
- Australia 2018
- Christmas Island
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- French Polynesia 2013
- New Caledonia 2013
- New Zealand 2013
- Norfolk Island
- Wallis and Futuna
- South America (7)
- Argentina 2010
- Brazil 2000
- Chile 2021
- Colombia 2015
- Falkland Islands 2017
- French Guiana
- Uruguay 2009
Single only
Same-sex adoption is single only in 127 regions.
- Asia (23)
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- India
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan 2005
- Lebanon
- Macau 2017
- Malaysia 1826
- Maldives
- Mongolia 2017
- Myanmar 2016
- Nepal 2017
- Palestine
- Philippines
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Timor-Leste
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam 2000
- Europe (19)
- Albania 2017
- Armenia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 2017
- Bulgaria 2017
- Faroe Islands
- Greece 1996
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein 2011
- Lithuania
- Moldova 2012
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Poland 2016
- Russia 1995
- San Marino
- Slovakia 2017
- Turkey
- Vatican City
- North America (25)
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Aruba
- Bahamas 2017
- Barbados
- Belize
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba 2016
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras 2017
- Jamaica 2017
- Montserrat
- Nicaragua 2017
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sint Maarten
- Trinidad and Tobago 1947
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Africa (40)
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic 2017
- Chad
- Comoros
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo 2017
- Djibouti 2017
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea 2010
- Eswatini 1968
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Liberia
- Libya 2017
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali 2011
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal 2017
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Togo
- Uganda
- Western Sahara
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Step-child adoption only
Same-sex adoption is step-child adoption only in 4 regions.
Illegal
Same-sex adoption is illegal in 32 regions.
- Asia (13)
- Bahrain
- Brunei 1951
- China 1982
- Iran
- Oman
- Qatar 1915
- Saudi Arabia 1932
- Singapore
- South Korea 1948
- Sri Lanka 2017
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
- Africa (10)
- Ethiopia
- Kenya 2002
- Lesotho 1966
- Mauritania 1983
- Morocco
- Mozambique 1886
- Niger
- Rwanda
- Tanzania
- Tunisia 1957
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Data on same-sex adoption is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 20 regions.
- Oceania (1)
- Fiji
- Antarctica (1)
- Antarctica
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