Organ Donation Trends in India (2025)

17.12.2025

Organ Donation Trends in India (2025)

Context

In August 2025, during the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day, the Union Health Ministry highlighted a "record-breaking" year for transplants while simultaneously addressing a deep-seated gender imbalance. While India has reached the global rank of 3rd in total transplants, the disparity between who "gives" and who "receives" remains a critical socio-economic concern.

About the News

Current Status (2024–25):

• Total Transplants: India performed a record 18,911 transplants in 2024 (up from ~5,000 in 2013).
• Waiting List: As of December 2025, over 82,285 patients are on the national transplant waitlist.
• The "Gender Gap": Decadal data (2013–2023) and recent 2024 reports reveal that approximately 80% of living donors are women, while nearly 80% of recipients are men.

State-wise Willingness & Performance:

• Delhi: Leads in total kidney and liver transplants; reports show 27% of women are willing to donate compared to 16% of men.
• Odisha: Recently recognized as an "Emerging State," notably showing the highest level of willingness among men nationally.
• Southern States: Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka continue to lead in deceased (cadaveric) donations, contributing over 70% of the national total.

Why the Gender Gap? (The "Breadwinner" Paradox)

• Social Conditioning: Women (mothers, wives, and sisters) are culturally conditioned to be the "nurturers" and "caregivers," often viewing donation as a moral obligation rather than a medical choice.
• Economic Vulnerability: Men are traditionally viewed as the primary "breadwinners." Families hesitate to allow men to undergo surgery due to fear of income loss, making women the "expendable" donors.
• Recipient Bias: Women waiting for organs are often not prioritized by families; statistics show women wait longer on lists and have higher mortality rates while waiting.
• Medical Factors: Lifestyle-related organ failure (due to alcohol or tobacco) is statistically higher in men, driving up their demand for recipients.

Regulatory & Institutional Framework

• THOTA (1994/2011): The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act regulates removal, storage, and transplantation.
  • 2011 Amendment: Expanded the definition of "near relatives" to include grandparents and grandchildren and introduced the concept of Swap Donation.
• NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization): The apex body managing the national registry and procurement.
• Recent 2023–2025 Reforms:
  • One Nation, One Policy: Removed the "State Domicile" requirement, allowing patients to register in any state.
  • No Age Bar: Scrapped the upper age limit (formerly 65) for deceased donor registrations.
  • Priority for Women: NOTTO issued an advisory to give priority points to women patients to correct the gender skew.

Comparison: Living vs. Deceased Donation (2024-25)

Way Forward

• Shift to Deceased Donation: Reducing reliance on living donors is the only structural way to end the pressure on women.
• Gender-Sensitive Policies: Implementing NOTTO’s "priority points" for women recipients across all states.
• Awareness Campaigns: The "Angdaan–Jeevan Sanjeevani Abhiyan" (2025) targets rural households to dispel myths about brain death and religious taboos.
• Insurance Coverage: Affordable insurance for organ transplant donors to mitigate the "loss of income" fear for breadwinners.

Conclusion

While India’s surgical capability is world-class, its organ donation ecosystem reflects a "silent crisis" of gender inequality. Moving from a system where "she gives and he receives" to a robust, deceased-donor-led model is essential for an equitable and modern healthcare system.