Lung transplant rate in Europe 2021-2022, by country

Austria had the highest rate of lung transplants in 2022, at 11.2 per million population. Spain followed in this year with the second highest rate at 8.9 lung transplants per million. The Netherlands had the largest rate increase between the years, increasing from 5.3 in 2021 to 7.1 in 2022. 

Reasons behind lung transplants

There may be two reasons explaining why Austria has the highest rate of lung transplants in Europe. In 2021, around 27 percent of the Austrian population are smokers, although this prevalence has been falling since 2010 and is forecasted to continue to drop in the future. Additionally, Austria had the highest hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Europe at 286 admissions per 100,000 population.

Waiting for a lung transplant

Germany had the highest number of patients waiting for a lung transplant in Europe in 2021 with 660 individuals on the waiting list during the year, while 37 died on the waiting list for a lung transplant. In Austria, four people requiring a lung transplant died during 2021.