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Finland registered 82 international adoptions of children in 2020

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Thailand, Russia and Philippines are the most common countries of birth for adoption

The number of adoptions of children born abroad increased slightly in Finland in 2020.

According to data from Statistics Finland, last year there were 82 international adoptions in Finland, out of a total of 293 registered adoptions in the country.

The number of adoptions of children born abroad grew by a few cases, while domestic adoptions totaled 211 and decreased compared to the previous year.

The largest national group of adopted children are those born in Thailand, where 23 children come from. The next most common countries of birth for adoption were Russia, with 12 children, and the Philippines, 11 children.

Thailand has also been one of the most common countries of adoptions in previous years, and the share of those adopted from Russia rose in 2020 from earlier years.

Around 55% of the adopted children born abroad were boys. In 46% of international adoptions the adopted child was aged under 5, while this percentage drops to 32% in the case of adoptions of children born in Finland.

Source: Statistics Finland.

Parents aged 40-44

In all, 60% of adoptions of children born abroad were adoptions by two parents. 20% of domestic adoptions were adoptions by two parents.

In adoptions of children born abroad by two parents, both the adoptive mother and the adoptive father were typically aged 40 to 44.

The total number of adoptions in Finland in 2020 was 293, which is 77 lower than in 2019.