The Cable | April 24, 2026
Longstanding issues of human trafficking and exploitation in Nigeria make the increasing use of surrogacy without regulation risky for surrogates and children born from these arrangements. Clear policies that regulate surrogacy, and a commission to develop and enforce such policies, could help orient surrogacy toward family building and away from exploitation.
ERR | April 10, 2026
As part of a broader effort to address human trafficking, draft amendments to Estonian law would identify “exploitation for the purpose of surrogacy” as a form of human trafficking with penalties of up to 7 years of imprisonment.
Axios | March 29, 2026
Surrogacy goes more mainstream
Surrogacy is increasingly common in the U.S., although it still makes up a very small percentage of births in the U.S. overall. Ethical and legal complexities in the surrogacy process make it important to consider the experiences, rights, and needs of surrogates, intended parents, and children born via surrogacy.
Surrogacy laws are all over the map
Surrogacy laws vary widely by state in the U.S. Some states enforce surrogacy arrangements and have regulations about compensation and legal parentage, while others have no regulations at all. This article features CGS’ Surrogacy360’s map of US surrogacy regulation.
The steep cost of surrogacy
Surrogacy remains very expensive in the U.S., ranging from $100K-250K to cover compensation for the surrogate along with medical, clinic, agency, and legal fees. Insurance coverage is limited, which makes the practice inaccessible for most people.
The Conversation | March 26, 2026
New research on Ukrainian surrogates’ experiences in Georgia–following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine–show how surrogates lack strong legal protections and would benefit from clearer and more thorough policy-making on cross-border surrogacy.
ABC News | March 21, 2026
Australia’s patchwork of surrogacy laws motivate some to seek international surrogacy arrangements, which tend to be expensive, complicated, and potentially exploitative. Ethical issues with surrogacy have led many countries to ban the practice or eliminate compensation of surrogates, but others argue regulated compensation better recognizes the labor of surrogacy. These varied views have led to debates about how to reform Australia’s surrogacy laws.
KQED | March 19, 2026
Recent cases of wealthy individuals and couples making surrogacy arrangements to have numerous children are an anomaly, but they highlight the need for more regulations to protect surrogates. A surrogate’s Bill of Rights has been proposed in California as a way to improve existing regulations in the state.
Kursiv Media | February 3, 2026
In response to disputes related to surrogacy arrangements involving foreign clients, proposed legislation in Kazakhstan would make surrogacy for foreigners illegal. It would still allow citizens to access surrogacy but would impose tighter regulations on surrogacy agencies.
Nine News | February 3, 2026
The Australian government has advised against pursuing surrogacy in Argentina. Surrogacy operates in a grey area in Argentina, and authorities appear to be taking steps to block surrogacy arrangements, including by refusing entry of foreign intended parents to the country.
BioNews | January 12, 2026
Uruguay has regulated surrogacy since 2013, but it was more than 10 years before the country saw its first surrogacy arrangement. This initial case showed important gaps in regulation, such as the absence of national protocols and good-practice guidelines for the surrogacy process, leaving the clinical team to implement ad hoc measures.
The New York Times | December 14, 2025
Thai women were lured to Georgia by the promise of paid surrogacy, but had little power once they arrived–unable to leave, faced with poor living conditions, subject to unknown medical procedures (likely egg extraction), and targeted with abuse.
