Over 100,000 people wait for organ transplants in the United States. Seventeen die each day before a suitable organ is found. Data on global volumes, donor demographics, and survival rates reveal where supply falls short of demand.
Key Takeaways
- Globally, approximately 150,000 organ transplants occur annually, but this meets only 10% of the global need estimated at 1.5 million
- Living donors provided 6,449 organs in the US in 2023, representing 14% of total transplants, primarily kidneys and livers
- Post-heart transplant survival: 1-year survival rate is 91% and 5-year is 75% based on 2023 US data
- As of 2024, there are over 103,000 people on the US organ transplant waiting list, with kidneys being the most needed organ (87,000 candidates)
- In 2023, over 46,000 organ transplants were performed in the United States, marking a record high with a 3.5% increase from 2022
Organ donation rates are rising, offering more hope for patients waiting for lifesaving transplants.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Organ Donation Statistics19 stats
01
Globally, approximately 150,000 organ transplants occur annually, but this meets only 10% of the global need estimated at 1.5 million
02
The worldwide organ transplant rate is 11.0 per million population (pmp) in 2022, with Spain leading at 49.6 pmp
03
Europe performed 37,000 kidney transplants in 2022, with deceased donors providing 70%
04
Globally, 1 in 10 patients die while waiting for a kidney transplant due to shortage
05
China performed 20,000 kidney transplants in 2022, mostly from deceased donors post-reform
06
India has 300,000 end-stage renal patients annually needing transplants, but only 10,000 performed
07
Brazil leads South America with 4 pmp deceased donor rate in 2022
08
Cornea transplants: global volume exceeds 200,000 annually, highest tissue transplant
09
France deceased donor rate 45 pmp in 2022, second to Spain globally
10
Australia living donor rate 13 pmp, highest globally for living
11
South Korea donor rate jumped to 40 pmp in 2022 from opt-out system
12
UK performed 7,498 solid organ transplants in 2022/23
13
Iran unique: 90% kidneys from living unrelated paid donors, 2,500/year
14
Germany donor rate 11 pmp steady, 1,000 deceased donors 2022
15
Canada 20 pmp deceased donor rate, 800 donors 2022
16
Japan living donor kidney transplants 1,500/year, 95% of total kidneys
17
Portugal opt-out law boosted donors to 35 pmp 2022
18
Croatia 40 pmp donor rate, model for opt-out success
19
Global tissue donations (bone, skin) exceed 10 million grafts/year
Interpretation
Global Organ Donation Statistics Interpretation
While the world performs a heroic 150,000 organ transplants a year, it is tragically playing at 10% capacity, leaving a vast, silent chorus of 1.5 million people in need, a disparity where even a leader like Spain, at 49 donors per million, highlights how far the rest of the globe must rise to meet this life-and-death arithmetic.
02 · Category
Organ Donor Demographics18 stats
01
Living donors provided 6,449 organs in the US in 2023, representing 14% of total transplants, primarily kidneys and livers
02
Women comprise 40% of US deceased organ donors, but donate 42% of kidneys while men donate 58%
03
Average age of US deceased donors in 2023 was 40 years, up from 39 in prior years
04
Hispanic/Latino donors made up 20% of US deceased donors in 2023, increasing representation
05
15% of US living donors in 2023 were over 50 years old
06
60% of US registered donors are millennials (age 23-40)
07
Male donors provide 60% of livers in US, despite equal gender distribution in donors
08
US veteran donors: 1,200 since 2001, facilitating 4,000 transplants
09
25% of US living kidney donors are family members, 25% friends, 50% anonymous
10
Overweight donors (BMI 25-35) now 50% of US living kidney donors
11
Female living donors 60% in US, donate more kidneys than males proportionally
12
70% of US adults registered as donors via DMV
13
Young donors (18-34) 30% of US deceased, highest yield 2.5 organs each
14
Siblings most common paired donors in kidney exchange chains 40%
15
40% US donors have college degree, higher education correlates with donation
16
Trauma 40% cause of death in US donors under 40
17
Spouses 20% of living donors in US paired programs
18
Hispanic donors up 25% in US 2015-2023
Interpretation
Organ Donor Demographics Interpretation
Women continue to outperform men in the selfless act of living kidney donation, yet men stubbornly cling to the lead in posthumous liver contributions, proving that even in our final gifts, old habits die hard.
03 · Category
Organ Transplant Outcomes and Survival Rates15 stats
01
Post-heart transplant survival: 1-year survival rate is 91% and 5-year is 75% based on 2023 US data
02
Kidney transplant 5-year graft survival is 88% for living donors vs 82% for deceased in US 2023 data
03
Pancreas transplants: 1-year patient survival 97%, 5-year 86% in US SRTR 2023 report
04
Intestine transplant 1-year survival improved to 82% in US 2023 from 75% prior decade
05
Heart transplant median survival 12.5 years in US adults per 2023 SRTR
06
Kidney living donor 10-year graft survival 74% in US 2023 data
07
Liver transplant 3-year survival 82% overall in US SRTR 2023
08
Lung transplant 5-year survival 60% in US 2023 cohort
09
Post-pancreas-kidney transplant, 5-year survival 85% in Type 1 diabetics US data
10
Heart re-transplant survival 70% at 1-year, rare procedure 100/year US
11
Kidney transplant halves mortality risk vs dialysis per US registry
12
Liver retransplant 1-year survival 80%, 1,000 cases/year US
13
Pediatric kidney transplant 10-year survival 85%
14
Lung double transplants 90% of cases, 1-year survival 85% US 2023
15
75% US patients survive 5+ years post-heart transplant under 18
Interpretation
Organ Transplant Outcomes and Survival Rates Interpretation
While these statistics reveal the profound, life-extending power of organ transplantation—from hearts beating strong for a median of 12.5 years to kidneys cutting mortality risk in half—they are also a stark numeric plea for more donors, as every percentage point represents a person whose second chance hinges on another's first, and final, generosity.
More related reading
04 · Category
Transplant Waiting Lists and Recipients17 stats
01
As of 2024, there are over 103,000 people on the US organ transplant waiting list, with kidneys being the most needed organ (87,000 candidates)
02
Heart transplants numbered 3,423 in the US in 2023, a 10.3% increase from prior year
03
US pediatric candidates (under 18) number 2,300 on waiting list as of 2024, with liver most needed
04
Black/African American patients comprise 29% of US kidney waiting list despite 13% population share
05
41,000 kidneys needed yearly in US but only 25,000 transplanted
06
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders are 6% of US donors but 4% of waiting list
07
Every 10 minutes, someone is added to US transplant waiting list
08
17 people die daily in US waiting for transplant
09
White patients 40% of US waiting list, receive 50% kidneys due to matching
10
Native American/Alaska Native under-represented: 1% donors, 2% waiting list
11
90,000 kidney candidates on US list, 80% wait >3 years
12
Hispanic patients 19% US waiting list, receive 21% transplants improving
13
Daily average 20 transplants in US from deceased donors
14
Multi-listing allowed, 10% patients on 2+ lists boosting access
15
Women 52% of US kidney waiting list, receive 45% transplants
16
100,000 lives saved by transplants since 1986 in US
17
Blacks 30% kidney waitlist, but HLA mismatch reduces access 20%
Interpretation
Transplant Waiting Lists and Recipients Interpretation
While these numbers show a system striving for progress, the stark reality remains that we are still playing a game of musical chairs where the music stops for seventeen people every single day.
05 · Category
United States Organ Donation Statistics18 stats
01
In 2023, over 46,000 organ transplants were performed in the United States, marking a record high with a 3.5% increase from 2022
02
In the US, kidneys accounted for 86% of all organ transplants in 2023, with 46,616 kidney transplants performed
03
In 2023, 21,396 deceased donors in the US facilitated 46,000 transplants, averaging 1.9 transplants per donor
04
Liver transplants in US reached 10,102 in 2023, with 90% from deceased donors
05
US lung transplants hit record 2,804 in 2023, up 8% from 2022
06
Over 17,000 Americans received a new organ in 2023 from deceased donors
07
US DCD (donation after circulatory death) donors rose to 7,000 in 2023, 33% of deceased donors
08
2023 saw 1,000+ multi-organ transplants in US, mostly heart-kidney-liver combos
09
Pediatric liver transplants in US: 550 in 2023, 1-year survival 95%
10
US OPO performance: top centers recover 4+ organs per donor on average
11
2023 US total donors: 21,396 deceased + 6,449 living = record 27,845
12
Kidneys from 70+ year old donors used in 15% US transplants successfully
13
US deceased donor consent rate 85% in high-performing OPOs 2023
14
Living liver donors in US: 400 split livers in 2023
15
US machine perfusion kidneys: 40% of transplants, improves 10% utilization
16
2023 US first simultaneous heart-lung-kidney transplant performed
17
US ECMO donors for lungs increased 20% to 500 in 2023
18
US total transplants 2023: kidneys 46k, liver 10k, heart 3.4k, lung 2.8k, pancreas 1k
Interpretation
United States Organ Donation Statistics Interpretation
In 2023, America's remarkable generosity in organ donation meant we broke records not just by the numbers, but by our ability to stretch a single selfless gift into nearly two lives saved on average, proving that even in finality, human kindness can be astonishingly efficient.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Elena Vasquez. (2026, February 13). Organ Donations Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/organ-donations-statistics
MLA
Elena Vasquez. "Organ Donations Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/organ-donations-statistics.
Chicago
Elena Vasquez. 2026. "Organ Donations Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/organ-donations-statistics.
Sources & references
17 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level