What is Organ Donation?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an organ transplant is a lifesaving procedure in which tissue, or an organ is transferred from one area of a person’s body to another area, or from one person (the donor) to another person (the recipient). In the United States, the most commonly transplanted organs are the kidney, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, and intestines. On any given day there are around 100,000 people on the active waiting list for organs, but only approximately 14,000 deceased organ donors in 2021, with each providing on average 3.5 organs. Living donors provide on average only around 6,000 organs per year.
How Does Organ Donation Affect African American Populations?
African Americans make up the largest group of minorities in need of an organ transplant. In 2021, non-Hispanic blacks made up 12.1 percent of the national population.
- The number of organ transplants performed on non-Hispanic blacks in 2021 was 27.8 percent of the number of non-Hispanic blacks currently waiting for a transplant. The number of transplants performed on non-Hispanic whites was 47.2 percent of the number currently waiting.
- While 28.6 percent of the total candidates currently waiting for transplants are non-Hispanic blacks, they comprised 15.1 percent of organ donors in 2021.
- In 2021, 81.3 percent of donor organs from non-Hispanic blacks were from deceased donors.
- In 2021, 18.7 percent of non-Hispanic blacks were living donors as compared to 33.6 percent of white living donors.
- Although the total number of non-Hispanic whites on organ transplant waiting lists is about 1.4 times greater than that of non-Hispanic blacks, the number of candidates waiting for a kidney transplant is almost the same between non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites.
- Non-Hispanic Blacks have higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure than the non-Hispanic white population. These conditions are known to put patients at risk for organ failures.
U.S. Transplant Waiting List – Candidates by Race/Ethnicity, 2021
| Organ | All Candidates | # of Non-Hispanic Black Candidates | Non-Hispanic Black % of All Candidates | # of Non-Hispanic White Candidates | Non-Hispanic White % of All Candidates |
| All Organs | 116,041 | 33,240 | 28.6 | 46,217 | 39.8 |
| Kidney | 97,433 | 30,576 | 31.4 | 34,735 | 35.7 |
| Liver | 11,085 | 756 | 6.8 | 7,372 | 66.5 |
| Heart | 3,401 | 932 | 27.4 | 1,903 | 55.9 |
| Lung | 1,012 | 138 | 13.6 | 672 | 66.4 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of October 31, 2022.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/#
Transplants Performed in the U.S. by Recipient Ethnicity, 2021
| Number | Percentage of Total 2021 Transplants | |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 9,252 | 22.4 |
| Non-Hispanic White | 21,355 | 51.6 |
| Total Transplants | 41,356 | 100 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of October 31, 2022.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/
U.S. Organ Donors Recovered, 2021
| Donor Type | # of All Donors | # of Non-Hispanic Black Donors | % of All Non-Hispanic Black Donors | # of Non-Hispanic White Donors | % of All Non-Hispanic White Donors |
| Living | 6,543 | 484 | 7.4 | 4,631 | 70.8 |
| Deceased | 13,863 | 2,098 | 15.1 | 9,148 | 65.9 |
| Total | 20,406 | 2,582 | 12.7 | 13,779 | 67.5 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of October 31, 2022.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/
U.S. Organ Donors Recovered, 2021
| Donor Type | # of Black Donors | % of All Black Donors | # of White Donors | % of All White Donors |
| Living | 484 | 18.7 | 4,631 | 33.6 |
| Deceased | 2,098 | 81.3 | 9,148 | 66.4 |
| Total | 2,582 | 100 | 13,779 | 100 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of October 31, 2022.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/
*OPTN data is updated monthly online. The data and statistics for this section will be updated annually.
Last Edited: 09/22/2023