Donor designation rates in the U.S. in 2018, by state

The states with the highest donor designation rates include Colorado, Michigan, and Arkansas. This statistic shows the estimated donor designation rate of select U.S. states. For example, it is estimated that 69 percent of the adult population in Colorado say "yes" to donation when given the opportunity during a motor vehicle department transaction.

Organ donors in the U.S.

In total, in 2018, there were around 17,569 organ donors in the U.S. Organs can be donated from living and deceased donors depending on the organ. Commonly transplanted organs include the liver, kidney, heart, and lungs. In recent years, there have been more organ donations from men than women, but donations from both sexes have increased over the past few decades.

The waiting list

Although the number of organ donations has increased there are still over 112,000 candidates waiting for organ transplants in the U.S. Over 94,700 of these candidates are waiting for a kidney transplant, making it by far the most needed organ. The age group with the largest number of individuals on the waiting list for a transplant is those aged 50 to 64 years, with younger people in much less need for transplants.