Heart transplant statistics cover both patients in need and the donors who make recovery possible. In the United States, the median recipient age is 55, and about 20% are either under 18 or over 65. Donors are typically younger (median age 32), with 90% recovered after brain death and around 70% being male. As outcomes are tracked, the page also looks at the waiting list—such as 5.8 months median wait time in 2022 and the number of candidates who die before transplant each year.
Key Takeaways
- Donor age median: 32 years
- 90% donors brain-dead (DBD)
- Male donors: 70%
- 1-year survival post-heart transplant: 91%
- 5-year survival: 77%
- 10-year survival: 56%
- Recipient age median: 55 years
- 20% of recipients under 18 or over 65
- Male recipients: 73%
- US heart transplants in 2022: 3,581
- Pediatric heart transplants 2022: 389
- Global heart transplants annually: ~7,000
- As of 2023, there were approximately 3,400 patients on the US heart transplant waiting list
- In 2022, the median wait time for heart transplant in the US was 5.8 months
- Status 1A heart candidates had a median wait of 12 days in 2022
US heart transplant survival remains strong while many patients still wait months or die before receiving.
Related reading
01 · Category
Donor Characteristics26 stats
01
Donor age median: 32 years
02
90% donors brain-dead (DBD)
03
Male donors: 70%
04
White donors: 55%
05
Hispanic donors: 20%
06
Black donors: 15%
07
Cause of death: trauma 30%
08
Stroke donors: 40%
09
Anoxia: 20%
10
Donor BMI average: 26
11
Hepatitis C donors utilized: 10%
12
DCD donors: 8% of hearts
13
Pediatric donors <1 year: rare, 1%
14
Donor LV function EF>50%: 95%
15
Cocaine positive donors: 5%
16
ABO O donors: 45%
17
Donor distance median 200 miles
18
ECMO donors increasing: 5%
19
Donation rate US: 40 per million
20
Heart recovery rate from donors: 25%
21
Female donors: 30%
22
Age 18-39 donors: 50%
23
40-59: 35%
24
>60 donors: 5% for hearts
25
Donor hypertension: 20%
26
Diabetes donors: 10%
Interpretation
Donor Characteristics Interpretation
In donor characteristics for heart transplants, the median donor age is 32 years and most donors are brain-dead at 90 percent, with men making up 70 percent of donors and the racial mix led by white donors at 55 percent.
02 · Category
Outcomes And Survival28 stats
01
1-year survival post-heart transplant: 91%
02
5-year survival: 77%
03
10-year survival: 56%
04
Pediatric 1-year: 95%
05
Median survival: 12.5 years
06
Rejection-free 1-year: 70%
07
CAV incidence 5-year: 30%
08
Graft failure 1-year: 8%
09
30-day mortality: 5%
10
Readmission 1-year: 50%
11
Malignancy post-transplant: 10% at 5 years
12
Renal failure requiring dialysis: 10% at 5 years
13
Freedom from CAV 10-year: 50%
14
Conditional 1-year survival (survived first year): 95%
15
LVAD bridge survival better: +5%
16
DCD heart 1-year: 90%
17
Pediatric 5-year: 85%
18
Ischemic recipients 5-year: 70%
19
Female recipients survival equal to males
20
Black recipients 1-year 88% vs 92% white
21
Infection cause death: 15%
22
Rejection death: 10%
23
Cardiac arrest post-op: 3%
24
Stroke post-op: 5%
25
PTLD incidence: 2%
26
Quality of life SF-36 improved 80%
27
Return to work: 60% at 1 year
28
Half-life graft: 11 years
Interpretation
Outcomes And Survival Interpretation
Under the Outcomes And Survival lens, heart transplant recipients show strong early durability with 91% surviving at 1 year and an even higher pediatric 1 year rate of 95%, while long term survival remains substantial at 77% by 5 years and 56% at 10 years.
03 · Category
Recipient Demographics27 stats
01
Recipient age median: 55 years
02
20% of recipients under 18 or over 65
03
Male recipients: 73%
04
White recipients: 60%
05
Black recipients: 25%
06
Hispanic: 13%
07
Asian: 3%
08
BMI average recipient: 27 kg/m2
09
Diabetes in 30% recipients
10
Prior CABG: 20% recipients
11
LVAD at transplant: 35% adults
12
Pediatric recipients median age 5 years
13
Congenital heart disease: 50% pediatric recipients
14
Ischemic etiology: 40% adults
15
Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy: 50%
16
Retransplant recipients: 2%
17
Blood type O recipients: 45%
18
Insurance: 60% private, 30% Medicare
19
Urban residents: 80%
20
Education college+: 50%
21
Smokers pre-transplant: 10%
22
Dialysis dependent: 5%
23
Ventilator at transplant: 8%
24
IABP support: 15%
25
Female pediatric: 45%
26
Adult 18-49: 25% recipients
27
50-64: 50%
Interpretation
Recipient Demographics Interpretation
In recipient demographics for heart transplants, the median recipient age is 55, with 20% being under 18 or over 65, and the population is predominantly male at 73% and White at 60% though Black recipients make up 25% and Hispanic recipients 13%.
More related reading
04 · Category
Transplant Volumes30 stats
01
US heart transplants in 2022: 3,581
02
Pediatric heart transplants 2022: 389
03
Global heart transplants annually: ~7,000
04
US adult heart transplants 2022: 3,192
05
Heart transplant volume up 25% since 2019
06
DCD heart transplants US 2022: 100+
07
Multi-organ heart+kidney: 150 in 2022
08
Eurotransplant hearts: 600 annually
09
UK heart transplants: 250 per year
10
Heart transplant centers US: 140 active
11
Highest volume center: 50+ hearts/year
12
2021 hearts: 3,551
13
2020 COVID impact: 10% drop to 3,316
14
Projected 2023: 4,000 hearts
15
Female recipients: 27% of transplants
16
Repeat heart transplants: <1% of volume
17
Heart-lung combined: 40 annually US
18
Donation after circulatory death hearts: 5% of volume
19
ABO incompatible pediatric: increasing to 10%
20
Size-mismatched hearts: 15% of pediatric
21
10-year volume trend: +50%
22
Canada hearts: 200/year
23
Australia: 100 hearts/year
24
China estimated: 500 hearts/year
25
India: 50-100 formal
26
Brazil: 300 hearts/year
27
France: 400 hearts/year
28
Germany: 500 hearts/year
29
Italy: 250 hearts/year
30
Spain: 300 hearts/year
Interpretation
Transplant Volumes Interpretation
Under the Transplant Volumes category, the US carried out 3,581 heart transplants in 2022 and volume is up 25% since 2019, with pediatrics accounting for 389 and DCD cases reaching over 100.
05 · Category
Waiting List Statistics30 stats
01
As of 2023, there were approximately 3,400 patients on the US heart transplant waiting list
02
In 2022, the median wait time for heart transplant in the US was 5.8 months
03
Status 1A heart candidates had a median wait of 12 days in 2022
04
25% of heart waiting list patients die before receiving a transplant annually
05
Pediatric heart waiting list averaged 400 patients yearly
06
In 2021, 3,220 new heart candidates added to US waitlist
07
Women comprise 28% of adult heart waiting list
08
Blood type O patients make up 44% of heart waitlist
09
Average age on heart waitlist is 54 years
10
15% of heart waitlist patients are over 65
11
Status 6 inactive patients: 12% of heart waitlist
12
Regional variations: Zone A waitlist median 2 months
13
ECMO bridged patients: 5% of active heart waitlist
14
LVAD bridged to transplant: 20% of heart waitlist
15
Pediatric waitlist mortality rate: 10% per year
16
2023 waitlist removals due to death: 450 patients
17
Heart waitlist growth: 5% annually since 2019
18
Hispanic patients: 18% of heart waitlist
19
Black patients: 22% of heart waitlist
20
Asian patients: 4% of heart waitlist
21
Waitlist priority by MELD score integrated for heart
22
30-day waitlist mortality for Status 1: 15%
23
Total global heart waitlist ~10,000 patients
24
Eurotransplant heart waitlist: 1,200 patients
25
UK heart waitlist: 200-300 patients yearly
26
Inactivated waitlist hearts: 25% turnover
27
Heart allocation policy change 2018 reduced wait times 30%
28
Status 4 patients: 40% of waitlist
29
Transplant rate from waitlist: 45 per 100 patient-years
30
2022 new listings: 3,500 hearts
Interpretation
Waiting List Statistics Interpretation
In the waiting list for heart transplants, the US held about 3,400 patients in 2023 with a median wait of 5.8 months in 2022, yet 25% of listed patients die each year, underscoring how quickly waiting can become fatal.
report visual · Breakdown
Donor Characteristics Snapshot
Donor profiles skew toward DBD cases, with a majority of male and adult donors and broad variation across causes and clinical risk factors.
90%
90% donors brain-dead (DBD)
10%
Diabetes donors: 10%
report visual · Comparison
Heart transplant survival outcomes over time
Survival remains high at 1 year and decreases with longer follow-up, while median survival extends beyond a decade.
1-year survival post-heart transplant: 91%91%
5-year survival: 77%
77%
10-year survival: 56%
56%
Median survival: 12.5 years
12.5
report visual · Breakdown
Heart Transplant Recipient Demographics
Recipients skew toward older adults, with most having common clinical and sociodemographic risk factors.
20%
20% of recipients under 18 or over 65
80%
Urban residents: 80%
report visual · Comparison
Heart Transplant Volumes (US and Global)
US heart transplant volume in 2022 alongside the global annual total highlights overall scale.
Global heart transplants annually: ~7,0007,000
US heart transplants in 2022: 3,5813,581
US adult heart transplants 2022: 3,1923,192
Pediatric heart transplants 2022: 3892022
DCD heart transplants US 2022: 100+2022
Heart transplant volume up 25% since 201925%
report visual · Key figures
Heart transplant waiting list: current size and how long patients wait
The US heart transplant waiting list includes thousands of patients, with median wait times measured in months and much shorter waits for the most urgent status 1A.
3,400
As of 2023, there were approximately 3,400 patients on the US heart transplant waiting list
3,500
2022 new listings: 3,500 hearts
2022
In 2022, the median wait time for heart transplant in the US was 5.8 months
1
Status 1A heart candidates had a median wait of 12 days in 2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Heart Transplant Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/heart-transplant-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Heart Transplant Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/heart-transplant-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Heart Transplant Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/heart-transplant-statistics.
Sources & references
16 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level