UK surrogacy law ‘creaking at seams’ as demand rises sharply

Experts urge ministers to update legislation to prevent intended parents resorting to riskier arrangements abroad

Surrogates, parents and children are being failed by the UK's archaic laws, which are creaking at the seams" as demand for surrogacy grows rapidly, experts have said.

Figures obtained by the Guardian show there were just under 1,000 children born to surrogates in 2025, double the number in 2015. The rise has been driven by a rise in the number of gay couples seeking to be parents, increasing infertility and shifting cultural attitudes.