Just under 1,000 children were born to surrogates in 2025, double the number in 2015, according to figures obtained by the Guardian. Applications for parental orders, which reassign legal parenthood from the surrogate to the intended parents, reached more than 980 in 2025.
Of these, 150 children were born in the UK, where surrogates can only receive expenses. The rest were born abroad, mostly in the US, Ukraine, Nigeria, Georgia, Colombia and Mexico, where surrogates can be paid a fee.
Rising demand and legal gaps
The rise has been driven by more gay couples seeking parenthood, increasing infertility and shifting cultural attitudes. UK surrogacy agencies report being busier than ever. Helen Prosser, founder of Brilliant Beginnings, said they had to turn away new intended parents as demand soared.
A Law Commission review in 2023 urged the government to change surrogacy law, including giving legal parenthood to intended parents from birth. Currently, the surrogate must be listed on the birth certificate as the mother, and intended parents must apply for a parental order after birth, a process that can take months.
Experts call for reform
Prof Nicholas Hopkins, the review's author, said the best way to prevent parents going abroad was to ensure a properly regulated UK scheme. Co-author Prof Gillian Black noted cases where a child needed hospital treatment but only the surrogate could legally consent. “That doesn’t reflect the reality on the ground where the child’s being cared for and living with the intended parents,” she said.
The government accepted the recommendations and drafted a bill, but has said it is not a legislative priority.
Global controversy
The UN’s special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, has called for surrogacy to be abolished globally, calling it a “system of violence, exploitation and abuse against women”. She argued it leaves impoverished women open to exploitation by those from wealthier states.
Prof Kirsty Horsey of Loughborough University fears “culture wars” may be behind the government’s hesitation. Her report said the law was “creaking at the seams” and led to transnational surrogacy in jurisdictions without legal protections.
Surrogate shortage
Rachel Westbury, founder of Nappy Endings and a multiple-time surrogate, said the waiting time for intended parents using her service is about three years. “We really do have a huge surrogate shortage in the UK, because of the restrictions,” she said. She added that some midwives have treated intended parents poorly, lacking education about surrogacy.
A UK couple facing a lengthy court battle recently launched a petition to change the law to recognise intended parents from birth. It received over 100,000 signatures within days, triggering a parliamentary debate.
