Transplant outcomes depend on supply constraints, allocation rules, and clinical risk that rarely fit into headlines. In the U.S., 62% of kidney transplants in 2023 came from deceased donors, while 48% of potential donors could not donate due to medical unsuitability and 2.2% of candidates died while waiting. These pressures shape rejection rates in the first year, graft survival over time, and the costs and technologies that determine which patients receive a second chance.
Key Takeaways
- 62% of kidney transplants in the U.S. were from deceased donors in 2023
- The U.S. OPTN implemented kidney allocation policy changes in 2014; follow-up analyses report improved equity metrics (notably for pediatric candidates) with measurable reductions in waiting time disparities
- Pediatric kidney transplant candidates had a median waiting time of 1.3 years after allocation policy updates (U.S. evaluation)
- 2.2% of organ transplant candidates in the U.S. died while waiting in 2023
- 48% of potential organ donors were not able to donate due to medical unsuitability in the U.S. (2017–2022 average)
- Acute rejection occurs in about 20% to 30% of kidney transplant recipients within the first year (modern immunosuppression era)
- Long-term graft survival for pancreas transplants is commonly reported around 80% at 1 year and 65% at 3–5 years in major series
- In a 2020 systematic review, living-donor kidney transplant was associated with improved survival compared with deceased-donor kidney transplant (pooled HR ~0.6 to 0.7)
- $200,000 average total cost of kidney transplant in the U.S. (index hospitalization plus first-year care)
- Lifetime cost savings from kidney transplantation versus dialysis were estimated at about $3.0 million per person (U.S. perspective, published model)
- Hospital readmissions within 30 days after kidney transplant were 10.8% in a U.S. national cohort study
- 17% of organ transplant recipients in the U.S. used biologic immunosuppressive therapy (e.g., belatacept) in 2022
- Belatacept is associated with improved kidney function vs cyclosporine in a randomized trial (5-year data showing ~10–15 mL/min/1.73 m2 advantage)
- Machine perfusion is used in roughly 30% of deceased-donor kidney transplants in the U.S. (2023 estimates)
From donor shortfalls to better allocation and care, these stats show kidney transplantation improves outcomes and value.
Related reading
01 · Category
Policy & Trends10 stats
01
62% of kidney transplants in the U.S. were from deceased donors in 2023
02
The U.S. OPTN implemented kidney allocation policy changes in 2014; follow-up analyses report improved equity metrics (notably for pediatric candidates) with measurable reductions in waiting time disparities
03
Pediatric kidney transplant candidates had a median waiting time of 1.3 years after allocation policy updates (U.S. evaluation)
04
In the U.S., the 2019–2021 OPTN data showed a 25% reduction in organ discard for kidneys associated with increased use of expanded criteria donor utilization (policy-era effect)
05
The U.S. federal matching rate for organ procurement activities is 80% under Medicare reimbursement rules (as specified in CMS guidance)
06
The U.S. 21st Century Cures Act requires interoperability for patient data exchange; this supports transplant center coordination for electronic health records (policy requirement)
07
UNOS/OPTN uses standardized reporting; the OPTN “national data” dataset includes 30+ distinct metrics for organ transplant outcomes
08
Countries using opt-out consent systems tend to have higher donation rates; a 2012 systematic review found a median increase of about 25% in donation rates in opt-out jurisdictions
09
In a 2016 multicountry analysis, opt-out policies increased the deceased donor rate by approximately 25% compared with opt-in (pooled estimate)
10
As of 2024, more than 50 countries have adopted some form of presumed consent (opt-out) for organ donation (policy mapping survey)
Interpretation
Policy & Trends Interpretation
From 2014 onward, U.S. policy changes to kidney allocation appear to have improved equity outcomes and cut waiting time disparities, while broader system-level shifts like the 25% lower organ discard seen in 2019–2021 underscore how transplant policy can materially change real-world results.
02 · Category
Supply & Demand2 stats
01
2.2% of organ transplant candidates in the U.S. died while waiting in 2023
02
48% of potential organ donors were not able to donate due to medical unsuitability in the U.S. (2017–2022 average)
Interpretation
Supply & Demand Interpretation
The supply side is tightening as only 52% of potential donors can medically donate while 2.2% of U.S. candidates die waiting in 2023, underscoring a clear Supply & Demand gap.
03 · Category
Outcomes4 stats
01
Acute rejection occurs in about 20% to 30% of kidney transplant recipients within the first year (modern immunosuppression era)
02
Long-term graft survival for pancreas transplants is commonly reported around 80% at 1 year and 65% at 3–5 years in major series
03
In a 2020 systematic review, living-donor kidney transplant was associated with improved survival compared with deceased-donor kidney transplant (pooled HR ~0.6 to 0.7)
04
In a 2021 review, machine perfusion for deceased donor kidneys reduced delayed graft function by about 30% versus static cold storage in pooled analyses
Interpretation
Outcomes Interpretation
In the Outcomes category, the modern transplant picture shows that while acute kidney rejection still affects about 20% to 30% in the first year, key delivery and donor factors are shifting results such as living donation improving survival with a pooled HR around 0.6 to 0.7 and machine perfusion cutting delayed graft function by roughly 30% compared with static cold storage.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost & Economics9 stats
01
$200,000average total cost of kidney transplant in the U.S. (index hospitalization plus first-year care)
02
Lifetime cost savings from kidney transplantation versus dialysis were estimated at about $3.0 million per person (U.S. perspective, published model)
03
Hospital readmissions within 30 days after kidney transplant were 10.8% in a U.S. national cohort study
04
Immunosuppressive drug costs are among the largest long-term cost drivers after transplant, accounting for roughly 20%–30% of post-transplant costs in U.S. cost analyses
05
A 2022 study estimated that optimizing organ procurement processes reduced avoidable wastage costs by $25–$40 million annually in the U.S.
06
$18,000median cost per organ procurement organization (OPO) service episode in a U.S. cost study
07
$150,000average hospital cost for lung transplant hospitalization in the U.S. (index hospitalization)
08
$350,000average total cost for liver transplant including first year in the U.S. (cost-model estimate)
09
$45,000average cost per corneal transplant procedure in the U.S.
Interpretation
Cost & Economics Interpretation
From a Cost and Economics perspective, the high price tag of transplantation is offset by large projected savings such as about $3.0 million per person for kidney transplants versus dialysis, while ongoing drivers like immunosuppressive drugs make up roughly 20% to 30% of post transplant costs.
05 · Category
Technology & Practice11 stats
01
17% of organ transplant recipients in the U.S. used biologic immunosuppressive therapy (e.g., belatacept) in 2022
02
Belatacept is associated with improved kidney function vs cyclosporine in a randomized trial (5-year data showing ~10–15 mL/min/1.73 m2 advantage)
03
Machine perfusion is used in roughly 30% of deceased-donor kidney transplants in the U.S. (2023 estimates)
04
Synthetically engineered corneal tissue (tissue equivalents) has reached clinical use in at least 3 product categories worldwide as of 2024
05
Donor-specific antibody (DSA) testing is performed in nearly all centers for transplant candidates for highly sensitized patients (high utilization; standard-of-care guidance)
06
Kidney transplant candidates with positive DSA have substantially higher antibody-mediated rejection risk; one review reports odds ratios ranging roughly 2–5
07
Kidney donor management with viability assessment reduces discard rates by about 10% in modeled studies
08
Rapid turnaround HLA typing can be completed within 6–12 hours using next-generation sequencing platforms in clinical validation studies
09
eGFR-based management protocols reduce missed transplant eligibility opportunities by 15–25% in retrospective implementation studies
10
Telemedicine follow-up for transplant recipients increased visit adherence by about 20% in randomized trials of remote monitoring programs (2020–2022)
11
HLA antibody risk stratification models improved prediction of rejection with AUC values around 0.70–0.80 in validation cohorts
Interpretation
Technology & Practice Interpretation
Across Technology and Practice, modern diagnostics and therapies are increasingly shaping transplant outcomes, with adoption of approaches like machine perfusion reaching about 30% of deceased donor kidney transplants and improved risk management reflected in DSA and rapid HLA testing practices that correspond to higher predictive accuracy with AUC values around 0.70 to 0.80.
report visual · Comparison
What share of kidney transplants come from deceased donors?
In 2023, most kidney transplants in the U.S. came from deceased donors.
Deceased-donor kidney transplants (U.S.), 202362%
Opt-out jurisdictions: median increase in donation rates (2012 systematic review)25%
Opt-out policies: increase in deceased-donor rate vs opt-in (2016 analysis)25%
Candidates who died while waiting (U.S.), 20232.2%
source-verifiedoptn.transplant.hrsa.gov · organdonor.gov · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Transplants Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/transplants-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Transplants Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/transplants-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Transplants Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/transplants-statistics.
Sources & references
36 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+27 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)