As of the end of 2025, there were 59,350 orphans and children deprived of parental care registered in Ukraine. This is 4% fewer than last year. On average, the annual decrease in this number is 3%. These figures are reported by “Glavkom,” citing “OpenDataBot.”
Among these children, one-third—specifically 20,705—are orphans who have lost both parents. The remaining children have been deprived of parental care for various reasons, and not all of them are eligible for legal adoption.
The overall trend shows an increase in the number of people seeking to become adoptive parents. However, in 2025, there was a 13% decrease in the number of candidates. Currently, there are 2,097 adoption candidates in Ukraine, of whom 77%, or 1,619, are married couples. At the same time, 479 individuals are single citizens who wish to take responsibility for a child.
Age Structure of Applicants
Nearly half of the adoption candidates are people aged 40 to 50. Another 41% of candidates are under 40, and only 10% are over 50.
Geographic distribution of applicants
The largest number of applicants live in Kyiv (244 people) and the Kyiv region (224 people). The Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk regions also have a significant number of applicants—191 and 182 people, respectively.
Despite the increase in applicants, the number of adoptions in 2025 decreased. Last year, 1,150 children found new families, which is 10% fewer than in 2024, when 1,273 children were adopted.
Many children in the system are not represented by a single child, but by large family groups consisting of three, five, or even more siblings. Separating such groups is not permitted, while most prospective adoptive parents are willing to take in only one child.
