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2025-2026 global organ donation and transplant trends

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2026-08-28 12:33 UTC → 2026-09-01 10:33 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Data from 2025 indicates high levels of organ transplantation activity globally, though regional challenges persist. In Italy, the National Transplant Center reported a record 4,678 transplants in 2025, a slight increase from the previous year. The country recorded 29.8 donors per million inhabitants, ranking second in Europe behind Spain. Notable growth was seen in donations after cardiac death, which rose by 50.7% to 428 donors. Regional leaders included Veneto, Tuscany, and Emilia-Romagna. While major centers like Aou Città della Salute e della Scienza in Torino and Policlinico di Bari maintained high volumes, demand remains critical with 8,401 patients on waiting lists. Average waiting times reached 20 months for kidneys. Furthermore, a 29.2% opposition rate in intensive care units was estimated to have prevented approximately 2,400 potential transplants. Recent reports from Italian hospitals highlight successful multi-organ and tissue procurements. In Rho, a complex procedure involving teams from Niguarda, Policlinico, and ISMETT of Palermo benefited over sixteen patients. Other successful procurements occurred in Nuoro, involving a Spanish tourist, and in Siracusa, where two multi-organ operations were conducted in one week. In India, a record 20,138 transplants were performed in 2025, with kidney transplants making up 62.03% and liver transplants 20.46% of procedures. Deceased-donor transplants rose to 3,526, supported by a digital pledge portal with over 500,000 pledges. A significant gender imbalance persists: women accounted for 68% of living donors (primarily providing kidneys and livers) but only 22% of living recipients, while men comprised 78% of recipients. By the first half of 2026, Italy has seen divergent trends. The national average for citizens refusing organ donation when renewing identity cards rose to 41%, up from 38.5% in January. In Lombardy, 1,360 patients remain on waiting lists, primarily for kidneys. Conversely, the Liguria region reported increased transplant success, particularly at Policlinico San Martino.

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