Women and Children 'Reduced to Commodities': UN Report Slams Surrogacy as $15bn Industry Set to Explode Sixfold to $100bn

A report by the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls has condemned surrogacy as a practice that 'reduces women and children, including girls, to mere commodities' — landing just as the global surrogacy industry is projected to grow more than sixfold over the next decade. For intended parents, surrogates and their families, the timing raises real questions about where the law is heading.

The worldwide surrogacy industry is on course to grow from £11.7bn ($14.95bn) in 2023 to £78.4bn ($99.75bn) by 2033, an annual growth rate of nearly 21 per cent, according to Spherical Insights.

What the Report Actually Says

Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur, presented her report to the UN General Assembly's Third Committee on 10 October 2025, arguing that surrogacy involves the 'commodification of women and children, stripping them of their equality and dignity'. This is an independent expert's report to the General Assembly, not adopted UN policy. But it feeds directly into ongoing Human Rights Council debates.

The report distinguishes gestational surrogacy, where the surrogate has no genetic link to the child, from traditional surrogacy, where she does. Gestational arrangements, now dominant worldwide, are identified as the main driver of the industry's projected growth, according to Spherical Insights. It also examined the pressures faced by surrogate mothers and recommended stronger international cooperation, better data collection, and equal rights for children born through surrogacy.

Why the Industry Keeps Growing

Rising infertility rates, IVF advances and wider acceptance of non-traditional family structures are all cited as growth drivers, according to Spherical Insights. North America and parts of Asia-Pacific are the key markets, with more fertility clinics now offering cross-border surrogacy packages.

In the UK, surrogacy is legal but strictly regulated: only expenses can be paid, and commercial surrogacy is illegal. This has pushed many British intended parents to seek surrogates abroad, particularly in the United States and Canada.

Governments Call Surrogacy a Human Rights Risk

The UN report follows a political declaration launched in Geneva on 22 June 2025, when Italy, Chile, Cameroon and the Holy See called for an international moratorium on surrogacy as a step toward a binding global ban. Italian Minister Eugenia Roccella said surrogacy 'has become a global phenomenon, increasingly shaped by international markets... and profound inequalities.'

Alsalem said the declaration recognised surrogacy raises 'fundamental concerns relating to human dignity [and] the commodification of women and children,' warning that fragmented national laws risk pushing harm onto women in vulnerable jurisdictions.

Chile's Felipe Kipreos Palau said divergent national frameworks 'create regulatory gaps that may encourage the transfer of risks... across jurisdictions.' More than 220 organisations across 40 countries, according to the coalition behind the declaration, have separately backed the push.

Not Everyone Agrees — Here's the Other Side

During the same Human Rights Council session, Ireland's representative, speaking for 26 EU member states, argued that tighter restrictions risk 'erasing diverse realities' and would 'reinforce gender stereotypes that contribute to discrimination and violence,' adding that 'pregnancy and parenthood must never be grounds for discrimination.'

Canada raised concerns over Alsalem's proposed definition of 'mother,' saying laws must stay consistent with 'equality, nondiscrimination and inclusivity.' Mexico asked how the report accounted for differing experiences of motherhood, including women of sexual diversity, 'without reinforcing gender stereotypes.'

Which Countries Have Already Banned It

Italy banned surrogacy domestically and for citizens seeking it abroad in 2024, becoming the first country to do so. Slovakia adopted a constitutional amendment prohibiting it in September 2025. In Chile, a parliamentary family committee unanimously advanced legislation in January 2026 to criminalise both commercial and altruistic surrogacy, though it still needs further congressional votes. Together, these cases suggest national momentum is building even as declaration backers push for one coordinated global treaty instead.

For families weighing cross-border arrangements, watch Chile's ongoing vote and any further Human Rights Council action. These will signal whether national bans outpace a unified treaty. Until a binding global instrument exists, the country you choose for surrogacy matters more than ever.