Countries with the Most Orphans 2025

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Orphan Population

0

5M

10M

15M

20M

25M

30M

5 Countries with the Highest Orphan Population

30M

17.5M

5M

Country
Orphan Population
Year Measured
Orphanhood Due to COVID as of 2022
India30M20202,200,000
Nigeria17.5M2024372,502
Ethiopia5.6M2024197,410
Iraq5M2021113,591
Bangladesh4.8M201429,580
Pakistan4.5M2024363,947
Indonesia4.4M2024449,517
Egypt4M2021401,930
Brazil3.7M2014159,792
Kenya3.6M201289,951
United States3.2M2023218,773
South Africa2.8M2022147,310
Afghanistan2M202283,301
Mozambique2M202186,214
Mexico1.8M2016215,281
Philippines1.8M202488,181
Uganda1.7M202040,951
Angola1.5M201445,130
Tanzania1.3M202083,408
Cameroon1.3M202367,646
Zimbabwe1.3M202435,766
Syria1.2M20236,804
Zambia1.2M202445,907
Yemen1.1M202459,238
Ghana1.1M201040,141
Nepal1M20244,874
Niger970K202471,605
Malawi937K202429,413
Madagascar910K201961,853
DR Congo800K2012260,802
Burkina Faso770K202450,129
Somalia630K202466,104
Russia600K202475,434
Cambodia600K20247,089
Burundi600K202417,026
Colombia577K202451,123
Algeria550K202278,748
Senegal520K202431,048
Chad500K202437,653
Venezuela480K20248,846
Rwanda400K200010,131
Guatemala370K202454,602
Central African Republic370K202412,639
Lesotho350K20175,244
Sierra Leone310K202214,168
China253K20221,947
Chile230K20035,454
Dominican Republic200K20164,955
Eswatini200K20244,376
France177K20247,280
Honduras170K202411,629
Paraguay150K202411,536
Tunisia130K20118,707
Namibia130K201212,529
Thailand120K20232,020
Botswana120K20177,702
Guinea-Bissau110K20246,023
Eritrea105.7K20105,671
Ukraine100K202412,947
Liberia100K20207,378
Gambia100K20205,739
Peru93K2021124,850
United Kingdom85K202416,050
Jordan72K202410,823
Malaysia64K20237,275
Canada63K20213,148
Jamaica55K2024970
Benin42K202421,781
Spain40K20223,762
Australia40K20212,375
Lebanon40K20235,411
Equatorial Guinea40K20223,225
Mongolia37.9K20242,051
Japan36K20222,685
Myanmar36K201812,594
Costa Rica36K20151,276
Albania31K2012350
Gabon31K20222,931
Morocco30K202417,539
Bolivia30K201276,710
Haiti30K202310,452
Kazakhstan26K201830,345
Hungary22K19963,590
Sri Lanka21K20225,371
Belarus21K20247,687
Netherlands20K20161,151
Azerbaijan20K20245,584
Finland19K2020232
Papua New Guinea18K20221,366
Switzerland18K2024362
Austria14K2024569
Saudi Arabia12K20206,676
Kyrgyzstan11K20247,673
Tajikistan10.5K202416,447
Bulgaria10K20226,333
Oman7K201710,229
Moldova7K2023850
Lithuania6.5K2024834
Czech Republic6.3K20184,633
Serbia6K20241,355
Ireland6K2019393
Latvia6K2024432
Portugal6K2021404
Slovakia4.5K20242,330
Brunei4K202129
Croatia4K2024410
Bosnia and Herzegovina3K2024195
Italy1.2K20195,289
Armenia1.1K2023945
Estonia9682017157
United Arab Emirates9072024114
Cuba40020111,503
Vietnam10,720
Iran62,368
Turkey26,610
Germany6,963
South Korea768
Sudan102,183
Argentina33,967
Poland10,083
Uzbekistan9,085
Ivory Coast53,561
Mali56,123
Romania12,028
Ecuador41,855
Guinea27,006
South Sudan16,938
Belgium1,347
Sweden1,204
Greece400
Togo517
Israel8,370
Laos2,323
Libya2,748
Nicaragua6,062
Republic of the Congo8,560
El Salvador4,037
Denmark402
Singapore103
Norway176
Mauritania14,442
New Zealand381
Kuwait1,128
Panama4,666
Georgia2,598
Uruguay1,492
Qatar234
Slovenia223
North Macedonia370
Bahrain280
Trinidad and Tobago448
Timor-Leste1,302
Cyprus25
Mauritius55
Djibouti1,242
Fiji759
Comoros1,310
Guyana1,821
Suriname667
Montenegro190
Maldives42
Cape Verde366
Belize295
Bahamas134
Barbados55
Sao Tome and Principe461
Saint Lucia25
Seychelles86
Grenada54
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines108
Antigua and Barbuda31
  • Note on Data Accuracy: The figures presented for the number of orphans in each country are estimates. The difficulties in obtaining accurate data arise from various factors, including incomplete birth registration systems in some countries, varying definitions of orphanhood, and challenges in tracking children in alternative care due to poverty, conflict, or other social factors. Additionally, some children may be living in informal foster care arrangements or with extended family, making it harder to accurately count them as orphans. Therefore, the numbers provided should be interpreted with caution.
  • Since South Sudan is a very young state, accurate orphan statistics do not yet exist. However, both Sudan and South Sudan taken together are home to around 2 million orphaned children.

Sources

  1. Report on orphan's worldwide - Academia
  2. Report on World's Orphans - ReliefWeb
  3. Orphanhood - Imperial College London
  4. Global minimum estimates of children affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood and deaths of caregivers: a modelling study - The Lancet
  5. Source code and data necessary for 'Global minimum estimates of children affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood and deaths of caregivers: a modelling study' - Github
  6. Supporting orphans in Afghanistan - The Borgen Project
  7. Orphans in Australia - Adopt Change
  8. Nearly half a million children in Europe and Central Asia live in residential care facilities - UN Armenia
  9. Algeria - SOS Barnebyer
  10. Oman’s orphans need more helping hands - Times of Oma
  11. Children of Azerbaijan - Humanium
  12. Austria and Switzerland - World Without Orphans Europe
  13. Burundi - SOS Children's Villages
  14. Are children in Bulgaria being placed in alternative care because of poverty? - EuroChild
  15. 4,001 orphans registered with JAPEM - Borneo Bulletin
  16. New Homes in Botswana - Habitat for Humanity
  17. Orphanage in Chad, now with remote access to doctors across the world - TytoCare
  18. CameroonONE’s In-Home Sponsorship Program - One Track Internetional
  19. Serving Orphans In Cambodia - Lifesong
  20. Faqs and Stats - Home for Every Child
  21. Eritrea - Humanitarian Action for Children
  22. Equatorial Guinea - Children Orphaned By HIV/AIDS - Trading Economics
  23. Democratic Republic of the Congo - Orphanages for Africa
  24. Dominican Republic Adoption - Children of All Nations (CAN)
  25. More children in Czech orphanages as fostering applications fall sharply - Czech Radio
  26. Situation of children in Cuba - UNICEF in Cuba
  27. A Closed Door for Orphans? Unpacking China’s International Adoption Policy - Council on Foreign Relations
  28. Orphans in Syria and Iraq Juggling Balls: Wars, COVID-19, and the NGO’s financial crisis - National Library of Medicine
  29. Iraono Nifaeri Children's Home - Indonesia - Serving Orphans Worldwide
  30. The State of India's Orphaned Children Crisis - ILM UK
  31. 30,000 Haitian kids live in private orphanages - The Associated Press
  32. Guatemala - Orphan Outreach
  33. Orphan Vulnerability, NGOs and HIV/AIDS in Ghana - The Ohio State University
  34. Gambia Without Orphans - The Gambia
  35. Why are there so many orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa? - Heart of Africa
  36. Enhancing Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Lesotho - USAID
  37. Number of children in Kazakh orphanages decreases 40% in five years - The Astana Times
  38. Al-Aman Fund for the Future of Orphans - QRF
  39. Children in Japan - Japan Children Support Association
  40. Number of children declared adoptable in Italy from 2010 to 2019 - Statista
  41. More than 6,000 children in state care across the country - Newsbrands Ireland
  42. Our latest Orphan Complex in Pakistan is up and running! - PennyAppeal
  43. Placement breakdown in foster care: Reducing risks by a foster parent training program? - UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository)
  44. Fact Sheet - ACERWC
  45. Understanding Mozambique’s Orphan Crisis and How You Can Help - Cross Catholic Outreach
  46. 37,900 orphans in Mongolia - News mn
  47. Moldova: Orphans and Abandoned Children - Global Distribution
  48. An Orphanage in Mexico - Portland State University. Department of Educational Leadership and Policy
  49. Estimated 64,000 children end up in orphanages, many of which are unregistered - SinarDaily
  50. Who are Malawi's Orphaned & Vulnerable children? - Malawi Children's Mission
  51. Children in Madagascar - African-Volunteer.
  52. Orphans in Ukraine - ChildAid
  53. Child Protection Systems - Unicef
  54. Children of Tanzania - Humanium
  55. Sad Fate of Tajik Orphans - Institute for War & Peace Reporting
  56. The Dire Situation of Orphans in Northwest Syria - UOSSM USA
  57. Why is it so difficult to adopt in Spain? - Vosseler Lawyers
  58. Orphaning - Statistics South Africa
  59. Muntada Aid is building an Orphans Centre - Muntada Aid
  60. Navrat: Lets find every child in Slovakia a family - Global Giving
  61. Creating Connections for Orphans in Sierra Leone - KidSave
  62. Senegal - Zakat Fundation
  63. Portugal - Unicef
  64. Zimbabwe - Ethandweni Children’s Home
  65. Help for Orphans - The Zambia Society Trust
  66. Orphan support in Yemen - Yemen Relief
  67. Number of orphaned children in U.S. grows rapidly in recent years: Hill - Xinhua
  68. Orphan numbers on the rise in UAE - Khaleej Times