Organ Donation and Transplantation Statistics
- There are currently 121,678 people waiting for lifesaving organ transplants in the U.S. Of these, 100,791 await kidney transplants. (as of 1/11/16) 1
- The median wait time for an individual’s first kidney transplant is 3.6 years and can vary depending on health, compatibility and availability of organs.2
- In 2014, 17,107 kidney transplants took place in the US. Of these, 11,570 came from deceased donors and 5,537 came from living donors.1
On average:
- Over 3,000 new patients are added to the kidney waiting list each month.1
- 13 people die each day while waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant.1
- Every 14 minutes someone is added to the kidney transplant list. 1
- In 2014, 4,761 patients died while waiting for a kidney transplant. Another, 3,668 people became too sick to receive a kidney transplant.1
2014 Donor Profile1
|
|
Living |
Deceased |
|
Age |
All living donors in the United States must be at least 18 years old to consent to donation. There were 5,538 living donors in 2014.
<1: 0 1-5: 0 6-10: 0 11-17: 0 18-34: 1,627 35-49: 2,258 50-64: 1,492 65+: 161 |
The total number of deceased donors (7,761) does not add up to the total number of deceased donor transplants because many deceased donors are able to give both of their kidneys.
<1: 100 1-5: 212 6-10: 103 11-17: 387 18-34: 2,328 35-49: 2,099 50-64: 2,110 65+: 422 |
|
Gender |
Male: 2,052 Female: 3,486 |
Male: 4,647 Female: 3,114 |
|
Ethnicity |
White/Caucasian: 3,895 Black: 592 Hispanic: 762 Asian: 221 American Indian/Alaska Native: 19 Pacific Islander: 10 Multiracial: 39 |
White/Caucasian: 5,266 Black: 1,101 Hispanic: 1,033 Asian: 196 American Indian/Alaska Native: 46 Pacific Islander: 28 Multiracial: 91 |
|
Column 1: Relationship to Recipient Column 2: Deceased Donor Cause of Death |
Parent to Child: 453 Child to Parent: 772 Identical Twin: 7 Full Sibling: 1,071 Half Sibling: 54 Other Relative: 336 Spouse or Life Partner: 700 Unrelated Paired Donation: 544 Unrelated Anonymous Donor: 181 Friends or Other Unrelated Non-Anonymous Donor: 1,278 |
Anoxia: 2,541 Cerebro Vascular/Stroke: 2,419 Head Trauma: 2,560 CNS Tumor: 31 Other: 210 |
2014 Kidney Transplant Recipient Profile1
|
|
Received Kidney from Living Donor |
Received Kidney from Deceased Donor |
|
Age |
<1: 0 1-5: 63 6-10: 52 11-17: 127 18-34: 1,035 35-49: 1,590 50-64: 1,913 65+: 753 |
<1: 0 1-5: 88 6-10: 75 11-17: 307 18-34: 1,033 35-49: 2,772 50-64: 4,732 65+: 2,562 |
|
Gender |
Male: 3,464 Female: 2,071 |
Male: 7,068 Female: 4,502 |
|
Ethnicity |
White/Caucasian: 3,705 Black: 702 Hispanic: 776 Asian: 283 American Indian/Alaska Native: 22 Pacific Islander: 12 Multiracial: 35 |
White/Caucasian: 4,907 Black: 3,614 Hispanic: 1,962 Asian: 814 American Indian/Alaska Native: 140 Pacific Islander: 59 Multiracial: 74 |
Becoming a Donor
- Acceptable organ donors can range in age from newborns to 65 years or more.
- Donor organs are matched to waiting recipients by a national computer registry called the National Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). This computer registry is operated by an organization known as the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which is located in Richmond, Virginia.
- To identify yourself as an organ donor, visit the Donate Life America website at www.donatelife.net and choose your state of residence to learn about the options in your area, which might include:
- Joining your state's online registry for donation, if one is available.
- Declaring your intentions on your driver's license.
- Signing a donor card.
- Signing a donor card, registry or driver's license is a good first step in designating your wishes about donation, but letting your family or other loved one's know about your decision is vitally important. That's because family members are often asked to give consent for a loved one's donation, so it's important that they know your wishes.
CITATIONS
Facts and statistics provided by the United States Renal Data System, UNOS, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) Annual Report.