GITNUXREPORT 2026

Organ Donor Statistics

While organ transplants are at record highs, over 103,000 Americans still wait for a lifesaving gift.

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

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Statistic 1

36% of U.S. adults support but not registered donors due to myths

Statistic 2

U.S. millennials (18-34) 83% support donation, 50% registered

Statistic 3

Blacks 60% support organ donation vs 90% whites

Statistic 4

75% of U.S. families consent when donor registered

Statistic 5

Global awareness: 50% know donation process

Statistic 6

U.S. women 52% registered donors vs men 48%

Statistic 7

Age 45+ less likely to register: 40% vs 70% under 30

Statistic 8

Rural U.S. lower registration 45% vs urban 65%

Statistic 9

College-educated 75% registered vs high school 50%

Statistic 10

Religious: Catholics 85% support donation

Statistic 11

Myth: doctors won't save donors - believed by 15% U.S.

Statistic 12

91% of U.S. registered donors when family asked consent

Statistic 13

Hispanics 20% less likely to donate due to family distrust

Statistic 14

Global youth campaigns increased registration 25%

Statistic 15

U.S. DMV registration: 140 million potential

Statistic 16

Asians 10% U.S. donors despite 6% population

Statistic 17

25% Americans unaware one donor saves 8 lives

Statistic 18

Post-awareness campaigns, registration up 10% in states

Statistic 19

Females more likely to discuss donation with family 70% vs 55% males

Statistic 20

Low-income lower registration due to healthcare distrust 40%

Statistic 21

Veterans 85% support donation

Statistic 22

Teens school programs: 90% pledge to donate

Statistic 23

60% believe brain death = true death post-education

Statistic 24

Social media drives 20% registration increases

Statistic 25

Elderly 65+ 30% registered despite 95% support

Statistic 26

Globally, over 150,000 organ transplants occur annually, with the U.S. performing about 30%

Statistic 27

Spain has the highest organ donation rate at 48.9 PMP in 2023

Statistic 28

Worldwide, 1 in 10 patients die on transplant waiting lists due to organ shortage

Statistic 29

In 2022, Europe performed 36,000 solid organ transplants

Statistic 30

Global kidney transplants exceed 90,000 per year

Statistic 31

Living donor kidney transplants worldwide: 40% of total kidney transplants

Statistic 32

Asia has over 500,000 on kidney waiting lists

Statistic 33

France's donation rate was 45.5 PMP in 2023

Statistic 34

Brazil performed 10,000 transplants in 2023, rate 46 PMP

Statistic 35

Global liver transplants: 30,000 annually

Statistic 36

Heart transplants worldwide: 5,000-6,000 per year

Statistic 37

Lung transplants globally: 4,500 annually

Statistic 38

Iran has a unique paid kidney donor system with 2,500 transplants/year

Statistic 39

India performs 10,000-12,000 organ transplants yearly

Statistic 40

Australia's donation rate 22.5 PMP in 2023

Statistic 41

UK performed 7,499 transplants in 2023

Statistic 42

Canada’s rate 25.1 PMP deceased donors in 2023

Statistic 43

Global DBD donation rate average 15-20 PMP, varying by country

Statistic 44

Over 150 million people registered as donors worldwide

Statistic 45

Africa has lowest donation rates <1 PMP

Statistic 46

China performed 20,000 transplants in 2022

Statistic 47

Russia’s rate 2.5 PMP in 2023

Statistic 48

Germany 11.3 PMP deceased donors 2023

Statistic 49

Japan living donor rate high at 90% for kidneys

Statistic 50

Mexico 6.2 PMP in 2023

Statistic 51

South Korea 40 transplants PMP in 2023

Statistic 52

Global pediatric transplants <10% of total

Statistic 53

Worldwide organ trafficking affects 10% of transplants

Statistic 54

Kidneys represent 60% of global transplants

Statistic 55

Livers account for 20% of worldwide organ transplants annually

Statistic 56

Hearts make up 4% of global solid organ transplants

Statistic 57

Lungs comprise 3% of global transplants with 4,500 procedures yearly

Statistic 58

Pancreas transplants 1% globally, often with kidneys

Statistic 59

Small bowel transplants <500 worldwide annually

Statistic 60

Corneas donated: 200,000 globally per year

Statistic 61

U.S. kidneys donated: 25,500 deceased + 5,900 living in 2023

Statistic 62

Global liver waiting list deaths: 2,000/year

Statistic 63

Heart donors yield 1 heart per donor typically

Statistic 64

One deceased donor can save 8 lives with multiple organs

Statistic 65

Kidneys: 2 per donor, highest recovery rate 90%

Statistic 66

Livers: split donations possible for 2 recipients

Statistic 67

Lungs: paired donations from one donor

Statistic 68

Pancreas: 1,200 global simultaneous kidney-pancreas

Statistic 69

Uterus transplants: 100 worldwide as of 2024

Statistic 70

Bone marrow unrelated donors: 40 million registered globally

Statistic 71

Skin grafts from donors: millions of sq cm yearly

Statistic 72

Heart valves from donors: 3,000 pediatric annually

Statistic 73

Global cornea transplants: 185,000 in 2022

Statistic 74

Amniotic membrane transplants: 100,000/year

Statistic 75

Hands/arms transplants: 150 cumulative worldwide

Statistic 76

Face transplants: 46 as of 2023 globally

Statistic 77

Trachea transplants: 20 experimental worldwide

Statistic 78

Vagina transplants: 5 reported globally

Statistic 79

In 2023, the United States recorded 46,630 total organ transplants from 21,632 deceased donors and 6,436 living donors

Statistic 80

As of 2024, there are over 103,000 people on the U.S. national organ transplant waiting list, with kidneys accounting for 87% of the list

Statistic 81

In 2022, deceased donor organ donation in the U.S. increased by 6.9% to 21,632 donors, marking a record high

Statistic 82

Living donation in the U.S. reached 6,436 in 2023, with 75% being kidney donations

Statistic 83

The U.S. organ donation rate per million population (PMP) was 47.5 in 2023, up from 42.1 in 2020

Statistic 84

From 1988 to 2023, over 1.1 million organ transplants have been performed in the U.S.

Statistic 85

In 2023, 40,696 deceased donor transplants were performed in the U.S.

Statistic 86

U.S. states like Florida had the highest deceased donors in 2023 with 1,045

Statistic 87

Pediatric deceased donation in the U.S. averaged 139 donors per year from 2019-2023

Statistic 88

U.S. living liver donations totaled 436 in 2023

Statistic 89

In 2023, 25,220 kidney transplants from deceased donors occurred in the U.S.

Statistic 90

U.S. heart transplants reached 3,659 in 2023, a 12% increase from 2022

Statistic 91

Liver transplants in the U.S. hit 10,996 in 2023

Statistic 92

Lung transplants numbered 2,824 in the U.S. in 2023

Statistic 93

Pancreas transplants were 1,146 in the U.S. in 2023

Statistic 94

Intestine transplants totaled 198 in the U.S. in 2023

Statistic 95

U.S. donor recovery rate for eligible donors was 85.2% in 2023

Statistic 96

Average wait time for kidney transplant in U.S. was 3.5 years in 2023

Statistic 97

17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant in the U.S.

Statistic 98

95% of U.S. adults support organ donation but only 60% are registered donors

Statistic 99

U.S. Hispanic/Latino population represents 20% of transplant candidates but 18% of donors

Statistic 100

In 2023, California led U.S. states with 1,632 deceased donors

Statistic 101

U.S. multi-organ donors numbered 5,632 in 2023

Statistic 102

DCD (donation after circulatory death) donors were 7,632 in U.S. 2023

Statistic 103

Neurological death donors (DBD) were 13,999 in U.S. 2023

Statistic 104

U.S. transplant centers performed 46,630 transplants in 2023 across 58 centers

Statistic 105

Kidney paired donation transplants reached 330 in U.S. 2023

Statistic 106

U.S. organ procurement organizations (OPOs) numbered 56 in 2023, recovering organs from 21,632 donors

Statistic 107

Preemptive kidney transplants (before dialysis) were 2,400 in U.S. 2023

Statistic 108

U.S. one-year kidney graft survival rate is 97% for living donors

Statistic 109

Kidney transplants from deceased donors wait 3-5 years globally average

Statistic 110

U.S. waiting list: 103,322 as of Jan 2024

Statistic 111

Global kidney waiting lists exceed 1 million patients

Statistic 112

Liver waiting list mortality 15-20% annually worldwide

Statistic 113

U.S. heart waiting list: 3,000 patients average

Statistic 114

Europe Eurotransplant waiting list: 15,000 active

Statistic 115

Pediatric waiting list global: 2,000-3,000

Statistic 116

U.S. kidney waiting time median 4.9 years for adults

Statistic 117

6,000 patients added to U.S. waiting list monthly

Statistic 118

Inactive status on U.S. list: 20% of total

Statistic 119

China waiting list reformed to 300,000 in 2023

Statistic 120

India NOTTO waiting list: 200,000 kidneys

Statistic 121

UK kidney waiting list: 7,000, average wait 3 years

Statistic 122

Australia waiting list: 1,500 active

Statistic 123

Brazil waiting list removals: 40% die waiting

Statistic 124

Global annual waiting list deaths: 150,000 estimated

Statistic 125

U.S. status 1A heart waits: days to weeks

Statistic 126

Liver MELD score prioritizes U.S. list top 10% get 50% organs

Statistic 127

40,000 new U.S. listings yearly

Statistic 128

Women 40% of U.S. waiting list despite higher donor rates

Statistic 129

Blacks 30% of U.S. kidney list but 13% donors

Statistic 130

Age 18-49: 40% U.S. waiting list share

Statistic 131

U.S. 17 deaths/day waiting, 95% kidneys

Statistic 132

58% of U.S. waiting list are male

Statistic 133

Hispanic 21% U.S. waiting list

1/133

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While the selfless gift of organ donation allowed for a record-breaking 46,630 transplants in the U.S. last year, the tragic reality is that 17 people still die each day waiting for a life-saving call because over 103,000 patients remain on the national waiting list.

Key Takeaways

In 2023, the United States recorded 46,630 total organ transplants from 21,632 deceased donors and 6,436 living donors
As of 2024, there are over 103,000 people on the U.S. national organ transplant waiting list, with kidneys accounting for 87% of the list
In 2022, deceased donor organ donation in the U.S. increased by 6.9% to 21,632 donors, marking a record high
Globally, over 150,000 organ transplants occur annually, with the U.S. performing about 30%
Spain has the highest organ donation rate at 48.9 PMP in 2023
Worldwide, 1 in 10 patients die on transplant waiting lists due to organ shortage
Kidneys represent 60% of global transplants
Livers account for 20% of worldwide organ transplants annually
Hearts make up 4% of global solid organ transplants
Kidney transplants from deceased donors wait 3-5 years globally average
U.S. waiting list: 103,322 as of Jan 2024
Global kidney waiting lists exceed 1 million patients
36% of U.S. adults support but not registered donors due to myths
U.S. millennials (18-34) 83% support donation, 50% registered
Blacks 60% support organ donation vs 90% whites

While organ transplants are at record highs, over 103,000 Americans still wait for a lifesaving gift.

Demographic and Awareness Statistics

36% of U.S. adults support but not registered donors due to myths
U.S. millennials (18-34) 83% support donation, 50% registered
Blacks 60% support organ donation vs 90% whites
75% of U.S. families consent when donor registered
Global awareness: 50% know donation process
U.S. women 52% registered donors vs men 48%
Age 45+ less likely to register: 40% vs 70% under 30
Rural U.S. lower registration 45% vs urban 65%
College-educated 75% registered vs high school 50%
Religious: Catholics 85% support donation
Myth: doctors won't save donors - believed by 15% U.S.
91% of U.S. registered donors when family asked consent
Hispanics 20% less likely to donate due to family distrust
Global youth campaigns increased registration 25%
U.S. DMV registration: 140 million potential
Asians 10% U.S. donors despite 6% population
25% Americans unaware one donor saves 8 lives
Post-awareness campaigns, registration up 10% in states
Females more likely to discuss donation with family 70% vs 55% males
Low-income lower registration due to healthcare distrust 40%
Veterans 85% support donation
Teens school programs: 90% pledge to donate
60% believe brain death = true death post-education
Social media drives 20% registration increases
Elderly 65+ 30% registered despite 95% support

Demographic and Awareness Statistics Interpretation

While myths and distrust linger, these numbers reveal that the true barrier to organ donation isn't a lack of compassion—it’s a stubborn gap between our good intentions and the simple, life-saving act of making them official.

Global Statistics

Globally, over 150,000 organ transplants occur annually, with the U.S. performing about 30%
Spain has the highest organ donation rate at 48.9 PMP in 2023
Worldwide, 1 in 10 patients die on transplant waiting lists due to organ shortage
In 2022, Europe performed 36,000 solid organ transplants
Global kidney transplants exceed 90,000 per year
Living donor kidney transplants worldwide: 40% of total kidney transplants
Asia has over 500,000 on kidney waiting lists
France's donation rate was 45.5 PMP in 2023
Brazil performed 10,000 transplants in 2023, rate 46 PMP
Global liver transplants: 30,000 annually
Heart transplants worldwide: 5,000-6,000 per year
Lung transplants globally: 4,500 annually
Iran has a unique paid kidney donor system with 2,500 transplants/year
India performs 10,000-12,000 organ transplants yearly
Australia's donation rate 22.5 PMP in 2023
UK performed 7,499 transplants in 2023
Canada’s rate 25.1 PMP deceased donors in 2023
Global DBD donation rate average 15-20 PMP, varying by country
Over 150 million people registered as donors worldwide
Africa has lowest donation rates <1 PMP
China performed 20,000 transplants in 2022
Russia’s rate 2.5 PMP in 2023
Germany 11.3 PMP deceased donors 2023
Japan living donor rate high at 90% for kidneys
Mexico 6.2 PMP in 2023
South Korea 40 transplants PMP in 2023
Global pediatric transplants <10% of total
Worldwide organ trafficking affects 10% of transplants

Global Statistics Interpretation

The world performs a staggering medical ballet with over 150,000 organ transplants each year, yet for all our choreographed altruism—from Spain’s soaring donation rates to Iran's paid system—we still can't outpace the grim truth that one in ten patients dies waiting, a tragedy punctuated by a dark underbelly where 10% of these life-saving acts are tainted by trafficking.

Organ-Specific Statistics

Kidneys represent 60% of global transplants
Livers account for 20% of worldwide organ transplants annually
Hearts make up 4% of global solid organ transplants
Lungs comprise 3% of global transplants with 4,500 procedures yearly
Pancreas transplants 1% globally, often with kidneys
Small bowel transplants <500 worldwide annually
Corneas donated: 200,000 globally per year
U.S. kidneys donated: 25,500 deceased + 5,900 living in 2023
Global liver waiting list deaths: 2,000/year
Heart donors yield 1 heart per donor typically
One deceased donor can save 8 lives with multiple organs
Kidneys: 2 per donor, highest recovery rate 90%
Livers: split donations possible for 2 recipients
Lungs: paired donations from one donor
Pancreas: 1,200 global simultaneous kidney-pancreas
Uterus transplants: 100 worldwide as of 2024
Bone marrow unrelated donors: 40 million registered globally
Skin grafts from donors: millions of sq cm yearly
Heart valves from donors: 3,000 pediatric annually
Global cornea transplants: 185,000 in 2022
Amniotic membrane transplants: 100,000/year
Hands/arms transplants: 150 cumulative worldwide
Face transplants: 46 as of 2023 globally
Trachea transplants: 20 experimental worldwide
Vagina transplants: 5 reported globally

Organ-Specific Statistics Interpretation

While kidneys hog the transplant spotlight like a diva accounting for 60% of the show, the true encore is that a single thoughtful donor can take a final bow by saving up to eight lives, proving that even in exit, we can make a standing ovation entrance for others.

U.S. National Statistics

In 2023, the United States recorded 46,630 total organ transplants from 21,632 deceased donors and 6,436 living donors
As of 2024, there are over 103,000 people on the U.S. national organ transplant waiting list, with kidneys accounting for 87% of the list
In 2022, deceased donor organ donation in the U.S. increased by 6.9% to 21,632 donors, marking a record high
Living donation in the U.S. reached 6,436 in 2023, with 75% being kidney donations
The U.S. organ donation rate per million population (PMP) was 47.5 in 2023, up from 42.1 in 2020
From 1988 to 2023, over 1.1 million organ transplants have been performed in the U.S.
In 2023, 40,696 deceased donor transplants were performed in the U.S.
U.S. states like Florida had the highest deceased donors in 2023 with 1,045
Pediatric deceased donation in the U.S. averaged 139 donors per year from 2019-2023
U.S. living liver donations totaled 436 in 2023
In 2023, 25,220 kidney transplants from deceased donors occurred in the U.S.
U.S. heart transplants reached 3,659 in 2023, a 12% increase from 2022
Liver transplants in the U.S. hit 10,996 in 2023
Lung transplants numbered 2,824 in the U.S. in 2023
Pancreas transplants were 1,146 in the U.S. in 2023
Intestine transplants totaled 198 in the U.S. in 2023
U.S. donor recovery rate for eligible donors was 85.2% in 2023
Average wait time for kidney transplant in U.S. was 3.5 years in 2023
17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant in the U.S.
95% of U.S. adults support organ donation but only 60% are registered donors
U.S. Hispanic/Latino population represents 20% of transplant candidates but 18% of donors
In 2023, California led U.S. states with 1,632 deceased donors
U.S. multi-organ donors numbered 5,632 in 2023
DCD (donation after circulatory death) donors were 7,632 in U.S. 2023
Neurological death donors (DBD) were 13,999 in U.S. 2023
U.S. transplant centers performed 46,630 transplants in 2023 across 58 centers
Kidney paired donation transplants reached 330 in U.S. 2023
U.S. organ procurement organizations (OPOs) numbered 56 in 2023, recovering organs from 21,632 donors
Preemptive kidney transplants (before dialysis) were 2,400 in U.S. 2023
U.S. one-year kidney graft survival rate is 97% for living donors

U.S. National Statistics Interpretation

Despite setting a new record for generosity with 46,630 transplants in 2023, the growing waitlist of over 103,000 people tragically underscores that our best year is still nowhere near good enough.

Waiting List Statistics

Kidney transplants from deceased donors wait 3-5 years globally average
U.S. waiting list: 103,322 as of Jan 2024
Global kidney waiting lists exceed 1 million patients
Liver waiting list mortality 15-20% annually worldwide
U.S. heart waiting list: 3,000 patients average
Europe Eurotransplant waiting list: 15,000 active
Pediatric waiting list global: 2,000-3,000
U.S. kidney waiting time median 4.9 years for adults
6,000 patients added to U.S. waiting list monthly
Inactive status on U.S. list: 20% of total
China waiting list reformed to 300,000 in 2023
India NOTTO waiting list: 200,000 kidneys
UK kidney waiting list: 7,000, average wait 3 years
Australia waiting list: 1,500 active
Brazil waiting list removals: 40% die waiting
Global annual waiting list deaths: 150,000 estimated
U.S. status 1A heart waits: days to weeks
Liver MELD score prioritizes U.S. list top 10% get 50% organs
40,000 new U.S. listings yearly
Women 40% of U.S. waiting list despite higher donor rates
Blacks 30% of U.S. kidney list but 13% donors
Age 18-49: 40% U.S. waiting list share
U.S. 17 deaths/day waiting, 95% kidneys
58% of U.S. waiting list are male
Hispanic 21% U.S. waiting list

Waiting List Statistics Interpretation

Behind these staggering, sobering numbers lies a tragically simple equation: humanity's chronic inability to give life after death is literally costing lives every single day.

Sources & References

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