Organ donation and transplantation is a life-saving surgery where a failing organ is replaced with a healthy one from a donor (living or deceased) to restore function. Organ transplants save lives and help people live healthier, better lives. Organ donation and transplantation is a carefully organized process that happens across the country. Donated organs are matched with people who need them most based on medical need. However, there are not enough donated organs for everyone who needs one, so many people must wait a long time for a transplant. Donors and recipients do not need to be the same race or ethnicity for a transplant to work. Still, having donors from many different racial and ethnic backgrounds makes it easier to find good matches and can improve transplant success. Unlike organs donated after death, living donors can choose who receives their organ, which may help someone get a transplant sooner.
- In 2025, Black/African Americans made up 27% of candidates on the organ transplant waiting list and about 13% of all organ donors in the United States.
- In 2024, Black/African Americans made up nearly 23% of total organ transplant recipients nationwide.
- In 2024, nearly 17% of Black/African American organ donors were living donors, compared to 29% of all donors in the U.S.
Additional Resources
MedlinePlus
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
Further Reading
Organ Transplants
| U.S. Transplant Waiting List, Candidates by Race/Ethnicity, 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organ | Total Number of Candidates | Number of Black* Candidates | Black* Percentage of All Candidates | ||
| All Organs | 107,446 | 29,047 | 27.03 | ||
| Kidney | 93,164 | 27,116 | 29.11 | ||
| Liver | 9,069 | 567 | 6.25 | ||
| Heart | 3,854 | 1,103 | 28.62 | ||
| Lung | 939 | 132 | 14.06 | ||
| Transplants in the United States by Recipient Race/Ethnicity, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Number of Transplants | Percentage of Total 2024 Transplants | |
| Black* | 10,991 | 22.83 |
| All Races/Ethnicities | 48,150 | 100.00 |
Organ Donors
| U.S. Organ Donors, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donor Type | Total Number of Donors | Number of Black* Donors | Black* Percentage of All Donors | ||
| Living | 7,034 | 510 | 7.25 | ||
| Deceased | 16,989 | 2,509 | 14.77 | ||
| Total | 24,023 | 3,019 | 12.57 | ||
| U.S. Organ Donors, Living vs Deceased, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donor Type | Total Number of Donors | Percentage of All Donors | Number of Black* Donors | Percentage of All Black* Donors | |
| Living | 7,034 | 29.28 | 510 | 16.89 | |
| Deceased | 16,989 | 70.72 | 2,509 | 83.11 | |
| Total | 24,023 | 100.00 | 3,019 | 100.00 | |
*Population is non-Hispanic in the data source.
Date Last Reviewed: January 2026