SURROGACY, SOCIAL POLICY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Surrogacy policy is a highly complex global policy that has important ramifications, yet it is unclear how a country’s socio-economic status can influence its surrogacy policy. This study quantitatively assessed the influence of economic development on surrogacy policy in 84 countries. Using an internet analytic search and comprehensive literature review, countries were identified for study. Each country’s surrogacy policy and economic development were characterized and an analysis of the relationship between economic development and surrogacy policy was conducted. The analysis demonstrated that economic development acts as a negative predictor for more liberal surrogacy policy, despite its positive impact on other social policies such as abortion and same-sex marriage. This disparity highlights the need for governments to more holistically examine their existing surrogacy policies and ensure greater internal alignment with their other social policies.