Adoptions in England to same-gender couples tumbled in 2024, new statistics published by the Department for Education show. Analysis of the figures by New Family Social reveals that a slight fall in the total number of adoptions masks a disproportionate drop in those to same-gender couples.

The total number of adoptions in England in 2024 fell by 20 – from 3,000 to 2,980. In the same period, adoptions to same-gender couples slumped by 40, from 610 to 570.

In 2023, 20 per cent of all adoptions in England were to same-gender couples. A proportionate reflection of this in a total fall of 20 adoptions in 2024 would be 4. In reality the number of adoptions in 2024 by same-gender couples fell by 40 – ten times as many as a proportionate representation.

The cause of this decline is unclear. Conventional reasons for a drop in adoptions include lower numbers of applicants coming forward. Potential adopters failing the approval process during assessment can also be a factor. Social workers failing to match approved adopters with children awaiting a forever family could be an issue.

Tor Docherty, New Family Social Chief Executive said: ‘This analysis shows that while the total number of adoptions in England fell slightly in 2024, that masks a disproportionate dive in those to LGBTQ+ applicants. Our community forms the second largest pool of successful adopters in the country. The adoption sector needs to examine how and why this decline happened and what it can do to arrest this concerning collapse in the statistics in the future.’

Year	2024	2023
All adoptions [England]	2980	3000
Total number of adoptions to male/male couples - married	190	190
Total number of adoptions to male/male couples – in civil partnerships	50	50
Total number of adoptions to male/male couples - unmarried/not in a civil partnership	130	140
Total number of adoptions to female/female couples - married	120	130
Total number of adoptions to female/female couples - in civil partnerships	20	30
Total number of adoptions to female/female couples - unmarried/not in a civil partnership	60	70
Total number of adoptions to same-gender couples	570	610

Source: Department for Education

Limitations of data

All UK government data undercounts LGBTQ+ people’s engagement with adoption. Our analysis doesn’t include the following LGBTQ+ adopters as data is unpublished by the Department for Education:

• Single LGBTQ+ people
• Bi people in a different-gender relationship
• Trans people in a different-gender relationship

No UK government publishes comparative data on LGBTQ+ foster carers.

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Further reading:

Department for Education: Children looked after in England including adoption