Surrogacy statistics: why so many go overseas

Surrogacy is intensely personal, but the numbers tell an important story about how difficult it can be for intended parents in Australia. The central statistic is striking: for every child born in Australia through surrogacy, about four are born overseas.

That is not a small difference. It points to a system in which many intended parents cannot find a surrogate locally, cannot wait indefinitely, or find that an overseas pathway is the only practical option available to them.

Stephen Page has practised in this area for many years and values hard data. Numbers do not capture every individual journey, but they do help explain the broader dynamics of Australian surrogacy: how long it takes to find a surrogate, who surrogates tend to be, and where children born through surrogacy are ultimately being born.

How long does it take to find a surrogate in Australia?

For intended parents who do not already have a prospective surrogate, the first question is usually simple: how long will it take?

The honest answer is that it varies enormously. Based on client experience, the time taken to find a surrogate can range from one month to four years.

Some intended parents are fortunate. A friend or family member may come forward quickly, discussions may align, and the parties may be able to begin the necessary medical, counselling and legal processes without a long search.

For others, finding the right person can take years. That uncertainty matters. By the time intended parents speak with a surrogacy lawyer, many have already travelled a long fertility road. They understandably want to become parents as soon as possible, not after another four years of waiting.

Timing therefore becomes a central consideration. Intended parents need to ask themselves practical but difficult questions:

• Do they have a suitable person in their existing circle of friends or family?
• How long are they realistically able and willing to wait?
• What will happen if an initial arrangement does not proceed?
• Should they consider an overseas pathway, subject to proper legal advice?

A well-considered back-up plan is especially important where there is no prospective surrogate at the outset. Overseas arrangements can involve their own legal, immigration and practical challenges, so preparation matters at every stage.

The shortage of available surrogates

The main difficulty is not hard to identify. There are simply not enough surrogates available in Australia for the number of people hoping to build a family through surrogacy.

Research and professional estimates provide a useful indication of the challenge. One Sydney fertility counsellor and psychologist estimated that, out of 20 Australian surrogates, 19 would already be known to the intended parents. They would commonly be friends or family members.

A Melbourne colleague has offered a more optimistic estimate: perhaps one surrogate in five is not previously known to the intended parents.

There is a difference between one in 19 and one in five, but the broader point remains the same. Intended parents who do not already know a prospective surrogate are searching for a very limited pool. Many people are seeking the same rare opportunity.

Australian surrogacy is predominantly based on a pre-existing relationship. That can be a wonderful foundation for an arrangement, but it also means that people without that connection can face a lengthy and emotionally draining search.

Gestational and traditional surrogacy statistics

Understanding the numbers also requires understanding the two main forms of surrogacy.

• Gestational surrogacy is where the surrogate is not genetically related to the child. An embryo is transferred through an IVF clinic.
• Traditional surrogacy is where the surrogate is genetically related to the child.

Gestational surrogacy is by far the most common form. It represents approximately 90 to 95 per cent of surrogacy arrangements, while traditional surrogacy accounts for about 5 to 10 per cent.

The most useful available clinic data comes from the Australian and New Zealand Assisted Reproductive Database. As is often the case with health data, the published figures are not immediate and can be several years behind the present day. The figures also concern births through IVF clinics, meaning they capture gestational surrogacy rather than every traditional surrogacy birth.

There is an additional complication: the database reports combined Australian and New Zealand information rather than a complete separate Australian figure. New Zealand data has been published separately, which assists in making an estimate, but it is still not a perfect measure.

Taking those limitations into account, the best estimate is that there are about 85 to 90 surrogacy births in Australia each year, across gestational and traditional arrangements.

That is a remarkably small number for a country of Australia’s size. It helps explain why a local pathway, while possible and often deeply valued, is not always available within the timeframe intended parents face.

Overseas surrogacy births far outnumber local births

The overseas figures are clearer. When an Australian citizen has a child born overseas through surrogacy, the child may apply for Australian citizenship by descent through the Department of Home Affairs. Those application numbers provide a meaningful indicator of overseas births to Australian intended parents.

For the year ended 30 June 2025, there were 377 applications for Australian citizenship by descent involving children born overseas through surrogacy.

Department of Home Affairs officers also indicated that there were a further 199 applications between 1 July 2025 and 31 January 2026. If the rate continued across the full financial year, the total would be approximately 343 to 350 applications, slightly below the preceding year but still dramatically higher than the number of Australian surrogacy births.

There is no equivalent comprehensive public figure for children born overseas where the intended parents are Australian residents who are not citizens and seek visas for the child. The citizenship-by-descent number is therefore not the whole picture. It is, however, a reliable and significant part of it.

The comparison is clear:

• Approximately 85 to 90 children are born through surrogacy in Australia each year.
• More than 300 citizenship-by-descent applications may arise annually for children born through overseas surrogacy arrangements.
• For every one child born through surrogacy in Australia, roughly four are born overseas.

What the data says about Australian surrogacy law

The figures demonstrate that Australia’s current framework is not meeting the needs of many intended parents and children. The shortage of local surrogates is not a theoretical issue. It has real consequences for the choices families make.

For many Australians, overseas surrogacy is no longer an unusual exception. It has become the more common pathway.

That does not mean overseas surrogacy is simple. Intended parents need to consider the laws of the overseas jurisdiction, Australian family law issues, citizenship or visa processes, and the steps needed to bring their child home safely and lawfully. Careful early advice can make an enormous difference.

The data has also helped drive the Australian Law Reform Commission’s consideration of surrogacy law. There is a pressing need for a national framework that better protects children, supports surrogates, and gives intended parents a clearer and more workable lawful path to parenthood.

Stephen Page has called for meaningful reform in his submission on national surrogacy law reform to the Australian Law Reform Commission. The current figures add weight to that call. When four times as many children are being born overseas as locally, the system needs serious attention.

A local surrogacy journey remains possible, but it is not the norm

Australian surrogacy arrangements can and do work. They can bring families together through extraordinary generosity, care and commitment. However, intended parents should approach the process with clear eyes.

If there is no surrogate already known to them, the search may take a month, a year, or several years. If time is critical, it is sensible to understand all available options and the legal consequences of each before decisions are made.

The numbers tell a story that intended parents already know from experience: finding a surrogate in Australia can be exceptionally difficult. Until the system changes, many Australians will continue to look beyond Australia’s borders to complete their families.

About Stephen Page

Stephen Page is one of Australia’s leading surrogacy lawyers and an accredited family law specialist at Page Provan Family & Fertility Lawyers. A multi-award-winning lawyer, he has advised intended parents, surrogates and families across Australian and international surrogacy matters for many years. His work combines practical legal guidance with sustained advocacy for ethical, nationally consistent surrogacy law reform.