355 people adopted in Finland in 2016

A total of 355 people were adopted in Finland in 2016, which is 52 lower than the number in the previous year, according to Statistics Finland.

Although the number of domestic adoption remained almost unchanged, the number of international adoption reduced significantly last year.

The number of adoptions from abroad decreased by 50 compared with the year before.

The number of domestic adoptions was 282 and that of international adoptions 73.

Out of the adopted persons, 160 were girls and 195 were boys. Of persons adopted, 102 were aged over 18, the majority being domestic adoptions. In over one-half of the international adoptions the adopted child was aged under five.

The largest group in the adoptions from abroad to Finland were children born in South Africa (16). The next most adoptions were made from Thailand (14 children) and China (12 children).

Nearly two-thirds of children adopted from abroad were boys. South Africa, Thailand and China were also the most popular countries of adoptions in two previous years.

Seven out of ten of the international adoptions were adoptions by two parents. In adoptions from abroad by two parents, the adoptive mother was typically aged 35 to 39 and the adoptive father 40 to 44.

Around one-fifth of domestic adoptions were adoptions by two parents. In domestic adoptions the adoptive mother was usually aged 35 to 39 in both one-parent and two-parent adoptions.

In turn, the adoptive father was usually aged 35 to 39 in adoptions by two parents and over 60 in adoptions by one parent.