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

Finding a Living Donor
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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

1. http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/

2. http://www.usrds.org/2015/view/v2_07.aspx


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.