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Donation Facts

  • If you are taken to the hospital after an accident or injury, it is the hospital’s number one priority to save YOUR life. Your status as a donor is not even considered until every effort has been made to try to save your life.

  • Your age or health should not prevent you from registering to be an organ or tissue donor. Most health conditions do not prevent donation and age is not a factor. Let the medical professionals decide what can be recovered and used to save or help someone else.

  • All major religions in the United States support organ and tissue donation and consider it a generous act of caring.

  • If you decide to be an organ and tissue donor, your family will NOT have to pay for any medical expenses associated with the donation.

  • Organs that can be donated for transplantation are: kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas and intestines. Tissues that can be donated include: corneas, heart valves, skin, bone, tendons, cartilage and veins.

  • When it comes to waiting for an organ transplant, the system in place treats us as equals. Rich or famous individuals cannot and do not get priority on the national transplant waiting list. Factors such as blood type, body size, location, severity of illness and length of time on the waiting list are used to determine the best candidate for an organ.

  • When you register to become an organ and tissue donor you are making a legal donation decision and your decision will save lives. Your decision is an advance directive. It’s important to talk with your family to make sure they are prepared to honor your decision at the time of your death.

  • If you haven’t registered to be an organ and tissue donor, your family will be asked to make a decision on your behalf during a very difficult time. Talking with your family makes them aware of your wishes and can make this decision easier.

  • The medical professionals who perform the recovery surgeries treat donor patients with the utmost respect, just like they would for any other patient. Open casket funerals are still possible after organ and tissue donation.

  • Registering to become an organ and tissue donor is simple. You can register online or when you apply for or renew your driver’s license or state identification card.

Organ Donation Statistics

How many people are waiting for a transplant? Who receives organs and what organs are most needed? This section introduces you to the data and connects you to more detailed statistics on the waiting list, transplantation, organ donation, and registration.*

Statistics at a Glance


Current number of men, women and children on the national transplant waiting list.


transplants were performed in 2015.


people die each day waiting for a transplant.

We All Need to Register. Here’s Why:

of U.S. adults support organ donation

but only

are actually signed up as donors.

every 10 minutes

another person is added to the waiting list.

Peoples icon
only 3 in 1,000

people die in a way that allows for organ donation.

the waiting list grows

Each year, the number of people on the waiting list continues to grow, while the number of donors and transplants grows slowly.

Data from and OPTN/SRTR Annual Report. OPTN has current, in-depth statistics. Click to view.

Description of Gap Continues to Widen Graph

One Donor Can Save Eight Lives.

One person can donate up to 8 lifesaving organs.

Who Can Donate?

All people should consider themselves potential organ and tissue donors—regardless of age or health. Don’t rule yourself out! No one is too old or too young to be a deceased donor and most major religions support donation.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions related to organ donation eligibility.

What if I have a health condition?

Even with an illness or a health condition, you may be able to donate your organs and/or tissues upon death. If the situation arises upon death, doctors will examine your organs and determine whether they are suitable for donation. Only few conditions would absolutely prevent a person from becoming a donor—such as active cancer or a systemic infection.

At what age can someone become a donor?

Newborns and senior citizens into their 90s have been organ donors. The health of your organs is more important than your age.

Does my religion support donation?

The act of organ donation enjoys broad support among many religions in the United States. Some major religions have released official statements or policies about donation.

Can I be a living donor?

Although most donations come from deceased donors, a few organs (a kidney, part of a liver, lung, pancreas, or intestine, and some tissues) can be donated by living donors. Living donors most frequently donate a kidney.

Who Can Sign Up as a Donor?

Because so few people who sign up can actually become donors, we hope everyone will register, so we can save more lives. Here are guidelines about registration.

Over 18. All people age 18 and older can register to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor. You can choose what you wish to donate, and you can change your status at any time.

Under 18. In many states, people younger than 18 can also register, although their families will have the final say if the occasion arises for donation before they turn 18.

How Organ Donation Works

How does donation work? How are organs matched? This section explains the donation and transplant process. For more organ donation information, read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below.

Deceased Donation

More than 125 million people have registered as organ donors, but only about 3 in 1,000 can actually become donors when they die. Learn about the process of becoming a deceased organ donor.

The Living Donation Process

While most organ and tissue donations occur after the donor has died, some organs (including a kidney or part of a liver or lung) and tissues can be donated while the donor is alive. There are about as many living donors every year as there are deceased donors.

Matching Donors with Recipients

Patients on the waiting list are registered in a national computer network. Whenever donor organs are identified, a nationwide computer program at the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) exit disclaimer generates a list of potential recipients ranked by certain criteria. Here are some of the common factors and specific criteria used for matching.