Deceased organ donation and transplantation data

  • Overview

    • In 2025 there was a 6% increase in deceased organ donors compared to 2024 and the highest number of deceased donors on record.
    • This resulted in a 8% increase in the number of transplant recipients compared to 2024.
    • Since the national DonateLife program began in 2009, more than 20,000 Australians have received life-saving organ transplants thanks to more than 7,500 deceased organ donors.

     

    20252024Difference
    557deceased organ donors527+6%
    1,438organ transplant recipients1,328+8%

     

    National program 2009–2025
    7,501 deceased organ donors20,907 organ transplant recipients

     

  • The organ donation process in Australia

  • ~ 187,000 ~ 89,000 ~ 1,670 Australians died from a total population of 27.6 million deaths in hospital potential organ donors ~ 1,500 family consent requested 790 family consents 557 donors 1,438 recipients
  • 2%

    Only around 2% of people who die in Australian hospitals can be considered for organ donation.

    53%

    53% of families who were asked, consented to deceased organ donation.

    557

    557 deceased organ donors saved the lives of 1,438 people needing a transplant in 2025.

     

    • Only around 2% of people who die in Australian hospitals meet the criteria required to be an organ donor.
    • A person must die in a hospital under specific circumstances, in an ICU or ED, as organs need to be functioning well to be considered for transplantation.
    • In 2025, around 1,670 people (of the 89,000 people who died in Australian hospitals) died in a way where organ donation could be considered.
    • Around 1,500 families were asked about donation in the hospital.
    • Of these, 790 families agreed to donation – representing a national consent rate of 53% – with 557 people becoming organ donors. 233 people did not - mainly due to logistical or medical reasons.
    • In 2025, 557 deceased organ donors saved or transformed the lives of 1,438 organ recipients.
    • With only a small number of potential donors, increasing consent is critical to increasing our donation rate.
    • There are around 2,000 Australians on a waitlist for an organ transplant and an additional 14,000 people on dialysis for kidney failure, many who could benefit from a kidney transplant.  

    Download the 2025 organ donation process factsheet (172.77 KB PDF)

  • The organ donation process in Australia
    View transcript

    The organ donation process in Australia

    Very few people can become an organ donor when they die.  

    In 2025, around 187,000 Australians died.  

    But not all of these people died in a way where organ donation could be considered.  

    The person had to die in a hospital.  

    This only happened for around 89,000 people in 2025.  

    They also needed to be in an ICU or in an emergency department, and usually on a ventilator.  

    The person’s organs needed to be working well to be able to donate.  

    In 2025, only 1,670 people died in this way.  

    In Australia, families are asked to agree to donation.  

    1,500 families were asked this question in 2025 and 790 – or 53% - said yes.  

    From this, 233 did not become donors mainly due to medical and logistical reasons.  

    This means 557 become organ donors and gave others in need a second chance at life. 

    One organ donor can save the lives of up to 7 people and transform many more through eye and tissue donation.  

    From the 557 organ donors, 1,438 people received life-saving transplants.  

    We’d like to acknowledge all organ and tissue donors and thank their families for agreeing to donation.  

  • Deceased organ donation and transplantation recipients

    • In 2025, a total of 557 deceased organ donors saved or transformed the lives of 1,438 people who received an organ transplant.
    • There was a 6% increase in deceased organ donors in 2025 compared to 2024.
    • This resulted in an  8% increase in the number of people receiving a transplant compared to 2024.

  • Deceased organ donors 2021-2025

  • Transplant recipients from deceased donors 2021-2025(i)

  • Deceased organ donors by donation pathway 2021-2025

    • There are 2 pathways to deceased donation:
      1. donation after neurological determination of death (DNDD), and
      2. donation after circulatory determination of death (DCDD).
    • Typically, DCDD results in a lower number of organs medically suitable for transplantation compared with DNDD. Because of this, an overall increase in donor numbers may not always lead to the same increase in transplantation numbers.

  • Deceased organ donation and transplantation rates 2021-2025

    • The national donation target for deceased donation, established in 2009, is 25 donors per million population (dpmp). Donation in Australia has not yet reached this rate.
    • The 557 deceased organ donors in 2025 resulted in a national donation rate of 20.2 dpmp, a slight increase from 2024 (19.4 dpmp).
    • In 2025 the transplantation rate was 52.1 transplant recipients per million population (trpmp); an increase from 2024 (48.8 trpmp). 

  • Deceased organ donors and donation rates by state and territory in 2025

    Northern Territory 5 18.9 Western Australia 61 20 Australian Capital Territory 13 17.7 Queensland 102 18 New South Wales 160 19.2 Victoria 156 22.1 Tasmania 25 43.4 South Australia 35 18.4 National 557 20.2 Donors Donors per million population (dpmp)

  •  

    LocationOrgan donorsDonation rates (dpmp)
    Australian Capital Territory1317.7
    New South Wales16019.2
    Northern Territory518.9
    Queensland10218
    South Australia3518.4
    Tasmania2543.4
    Victoria15622.1
    6120
    National55720.2
    • State and territory outcomes in 2025 continued to demonstrate variation, with donation rates ranging from 18 to 43.4 dpmp.
    • The relatively small populations of the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory and Tasmania can result in substantial fluctuations in outcomes and donation rates year-to-year.

  • Deceased organ donation rates by state and territory 2021-2025

  • Organ transplants from deceased donors

    Organ Type20252024Difference
    Kidney 8658127%
    Liver 3032876%
    Lung16013717%
    Heart 12510519%
    Pancreas 46445%
    Intestine 3250%

  • Number of transplants by organ

    Heart transplants 2021-2025(i)

  • Lung transplants 2021-2025(i)

  • Kidney transplants 2021-2025(i)

  • Liver transplants 2021-2025(i)

  • Pancreas transplants 2021-2025(i)

  • Return to donation and transplantation data to explore more detailed data.

We want all Australians to talk about organ and tissue donation. If you want to be a donor, make sure you tell your family and friends.

Registering is easy and only takes one minute. All you need is your phone, Medicare card and one minute to register.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, your medical history, your lifestyle, what country you’re from or how healthy you are — you can still register as an organ and tissue donor.

The Organ and Tissue Authority acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.

Freedom of information, Privacy, Social media guidelines, Terms and conditions and Accessibility