Only 60 babies were adopted in the UK in 2010, according to shocking statistics published by the Department of Education.
The figure highlights a sharp decline in adoption rates in England, with adopted babies less than one-year-old down from 70 in 2009 and 150 in 2007.
In 1976, 4,000 babies were adopted in England.
The overall adoption rate has also suffered a decline, falling by five per cent in the past year.
The fall is believed to be the result of a slowing of the adoption process, with social workers increasingly reluctant to sanction adoptions following the Baby P case.
Writing in The Times, Martin Narey, a government advisor on adoption, also blamed the difficulties of recruiting parents due to flaws in the “parental assessment” process.
Speaking to The Huffington Post UK, Adoption UK's chief executive Jonathan Pearce, said the decrease in adoption levels is down to fewer adoptive parents being available.
This was caused by "a reduced focus by local authorities on recruitment of adopters and also the impact of an economic recession which may make people think twice about adopting at a time of possible financial insecurity," he said.
Pearce also highlighted "significant barriers" to the adoption process.
This has led to thousand of children being left in temporary fostering or care homes, with 65,520 under-16s currently in care, up 10 per cent on 2008 figures. More than 3,500 of those are classified as babies.
On average, it takes two years and seven months for a child to be adopted. Rates for ethnic minority children remain very low, with only 4 per cent of last year’s adoptions being Asian or black.
Children's minister Tim Loughton said: "Today's statistics are a timely reminder that we must redouble our efforts to do better for children in care. It's worrying that the number of adoptions has continued to decline, and it's simply not good enough for vulnerable children to be waiting well over two years to be adopted.”
Speaking to The Independent, Robert Tapsfield, chief executive of The Fostering Network, said: "Fostering services and carers are under real pressure to deal with the continuing rise in numbers coming into care, and thousands more foster carers are needed."
Anne Marie Carrie, Barnardo’s chief executive, called the statistics "deeply worrying".
“Everyone involved in the care system needs to be braver and should act fast to place children with a new permanent family when it is clear that even with support the child’s birth family is not going to change and cannot cope," she said.
“It is imperative that decision making is sped up at every stage of the adoption process, as we know that by the time a child is four years old they already have a far lesser chance of being adopted than a baby.
“Successful adoptions not only transform the life of the child for the better, but also that of their new family. We must therefore encourage more prospective adopters to come forward, and support them with adequate training both before and after adoption.”
Ayesha Vardag, leading family lawyer, said it was relief that the "insanity and racism" of race-based restrictions for adoption were coming to an end.
"There are decent people who want to love, care for and commit to making a family with a child," she said.
"There are children drifting and denied familial love. Failing to match them up as an urgent priority, whatever their shapes, sizes, colours or shoe sizes, is an abominable dereliction of duty."