Number of Adoptions in Kenya by Age of Child and County of Birth

Kenya has a comprehensive legal framework that allows for the adoption of children between the ages of 6 weeks and 18 years.^[1]

In Kenya, adoption entails the permanent transfer of parental obligations to adopters, who are then required to provide the children with a secure and nurturing environment that offers opportunities for growth.

Quick Facts

1. In 2024, the Civil Registration Services recorded a total of 335 adoptions in Kenya.
2. Married couples adopted most children.
3. A majority of adopted children in 2024 were born in Nairobi.

How many children were adopted in 2024?

The total number of children adopted in Kenya in 2024 was 335, which was lower than the number of adoptions in 2023, which was 447.

Female adoptions in 2024 were slightly more than male adoptions, with 170 recorded female adoptions compared to 165 male adoptions.

The total number of adoptions from 2020 to 2024 was 1,698.

Married couples adopted the majority of children.

In 2024, 333 adopted children went to married couples, compared to only two who went to adopters whose marital status was single. 

Number of adoptions by age of the child

The chart below shows the number of adoptions by age and sex of the child.

In 2024, the highest number of adopted children was two years old, with the Civil Registration Services recording 57 adoptions in that age group.

The second highest was one-year-olds with 38 adoptions.

The fewest number of adoptions occurred among 18-year-olds, with only three getting adopted.

Only four one-year-old children were adopted in 2024.

Counties of birth of the adopted children

The majority of children adopted in Kenya were born in Nairobi.

In 2024, 224 adopted children were born in Nairobi. 

Those whose county of birth was Machakos in 2024 were 21, while 15 were born in Mombasa, 13 in Nakuru, and 10 in Machakos.

Between 2020 and 2024, the total number of adopted children born in Nairobi was 967, followed by those from Kiambu at 118, Machakos at 111, Nakuru at 111, and Mombasa at 100.

See Also

1. Completeness of birth registration in Kenya by County
2. Completeness of death registration in Kenya by County
3. Number of deaths in Kenya per year

Reference