The Secret Baby Factory—The $14 Billion Surrogacy Industry With Hidden Eastern European Links
In Europe, commercial surrogacy is largely banned and viewed as a form of body commodification, similar to organ trafficking. Only a handful of countries allow for strictly regulated altruistic surrogacy, which limits reimbursement to costs and no additional compensation—resulting in limited participation. However, demand for surrogacy is skyrocketing due to later childbearing, increased medical challenges, and the rise of LGBTQ+ family building. According to Global Market Information.
Currently, only a handful of European countries, such as Ukraine and Greece, allow commercial surrogacy. These countries operate in a legal gray area with minimal oversight, resulting in a largely unregulated industry rife with problems such as human trafficking, document forgery and fraudulent embryo transfers.
Before the 2022 invasion, Ukraine was an estimated global surrogacy hub. 2,000-2,500 surrogacy contracts every year. Despite ongoing conflict, the industry continues, with some women still pregnant in war-torn Ukraine. Controversially, Ukrainian surrogates now leave their families behind and travel to places like Greece and Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey) to complete their pregnancies. These women often live with multiple surrogates in the same house while they wait to give birth.
The surrogacy market, valued at $14 billion in 2022, is expected to soar to $129 billion by 2032.
According to Global Market Information.
Advocates for reform argue that current practices ignore the welfare of surrogates. Wes Johnson-Ellis, co-founder of the British non-profit My Surrogacy Journey (MSJ), argues that surrogates should not have to leave their families behind and move to another country to become pregnant in order to help others build their families.
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“Pregnancy and birth are vulnerable times for surrogates. They need support networks and family close by to ensure they are fully supported,” Johnson-Ellis said.
MSJ regularly supports families who have encountered difficulties with other agencies. One couple who pursued surrogacy in Cyprus believed their surrogate was Cypriot. However, she was actually from Eastern Europe and had returned to her homeland, where she gave birth prematurely, according to Johnson-Ellis. Tragically, the baby did not survive.
“They are still fighting to exhume the baby’s body and bring it back to his hometown for a proper burial,” Johnson-Ellis said.
Last August, Greek authorities raided the Mediterranean Fertility Institute in Crete and arrest employees amid allegations that it trafficked nearly 100 women from Eastern Europe to serve as surrogates. Officials also accused the company of falsifying adoption documents for clients from countries where surrogacy is illegal. The institute has since closed and has not responded to questions about the allegations. Supporter For the families affected, many from Australia said they paid for a surrogacy program that never materialised.
The Republic of Georgia has also emerged as a popular destination for surrogacy in Europe, but last year, Georgia’s prime minister announced that commercial surrogacy would be limited to Georgian citizens. This has put the legality of programs in Georgia on hold, affecting prospective parents around the world who have come to the country to carry out surrogacy.
Scandals and rapidly changing surrogacy laws have prompted prospective parents in Europe to rush to relocate their embryos to countries with stable or established surrogacy frameworks, mainly in the Americas.
The United States is the top destination for commercial surrogacy due to its strong legal framework and advanced medical care. However, it is also the most expensive, with the total cost of IVF and surrogacy—including medical, legal, and agency fees—medium $190,000 to $230,000.
Those high costs have traditionally made Canada a more affordable surrogacy option, with the cost of IVF and surrogacy medium $60,000 to $100,000. While commercial surrogacy is prohibited, Canadian law allows altruistic surrogacy, similar to the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands. This lower cost has significantly increased demand, leading to medium waiting times range from 10 to 18 months and are driving hopeful parents to seek commercial surrogacy in Latin America.
Argentina, Colombia and Mexico are attracting prospective parents as alternatives to Europe, with costs often below $80,000. Mexico City in particular has become a popular choice due to its low costs and progressive surrogacy laws.
“There’s no gray. It’s very black and white. And I think with surrogacy, you need black and white.”
According to Johnson-Ellis.
“Trust in Mexico is changing,” said Johnson-Ellis of My Surrogacy Journey, which has launched a service to guide families there. “In fact, Mexico has more barriers and regulations than the United States, and even has the support of the Mexican Supreme Court as of 2021.” He pointed to Mexico City’s practice of issuing pre-birth orders, recognizing the intended parents as legal parents, and even listing the surrogate as the gestational carrier, not the biological mother, when she uses donor eggs.
The surrogacy boom in the Americas is hurting Europe. Advocates say Europe’s ban on commercial surrogacy limits access to services and, ironically, increases exploitation and coercion of women.
“With the commercial model, everyone knows where they stand,” Johnson-Ellis said. “There’s no gray. It’s very black and white. And I think with surrogacy, you need to be black and white.”
