Demographic analysis: Adoptions 2000–2024
Adult adoptions more common than child adoptions
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2026-02-12 8.00
Since the year 2000, the number of international adoptions has declined sharply, while domestic adoptions have increased. Today, adult adoption is the most common form of adoption in Sweden.
A new report from Statistics Sweden, SCB, describes the development of adoptions in Sweden from 2000 to 2024, based on data from SCB’s total population registers. The report covers both international adoptions and domestic adoptions, of both children and adults.
Sharp decline in the number of international adoptions
The development during the period 2000–2024 shows clear changes in both the volume and types of adoptions carried out in Sweden. At the beginning of the period, international adoptions were most common, but these have declined sharply from around 1,000 per year to about 60 in 2024.
Domestic adoptions of children aged 0–17 increased until the mid-2010s, reaching around 350 per year, but have declined in recent years to just under 250 in 2024. In contrast, the number of domestic adoptions of adults aged 18 and over has remained relatively stable over time, varying between 430 and 630 per year.
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