- Of the total candidates currently waiting for a transplant, 27.8% were non-Hispanic Black/African Americans. Non-Hispanic Black/African Americans received 22.8% of the organ transplants performed in 2024.1
- In 2024, non-Hispanic Black/African Americans comprised 12.6% of organ donors. Of the organs recovered from non-Hispanic Black/African Americans, 17.0% came from living donors as compared to 30.0% of the organs recovered from non-Hispanic whites.2
Organ Transplants
| U.S. transplant waiting list – candidates by race/ethnicity | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 114,997 | 31,917 | 27.8 | 44,278 | 38.5 |
| Kidney | 97,569 | 29,190 | 29.9 | 34,370 | 35.2 |
| Liver | 9,456 | 658 | 7.0 | 5,927 | 62.7 |
| Heart | 3,605 | 1,007 | 27.9 | 1,900 | 52.7 |
| Lung | 938 | 134 | 14.3 | 586 | 62.5 |
| Transplants in the United States by recipient race/ethnicity, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Percentage of Total 2024 Transplants | |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 10,989 | 22.8 |
| Non-Hispanic White | 23,626 | 49.1 |
| All Races/Ethnicities | 48,137 | 100.0 |
Organ Donation
| U.S. organ donors recovered, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donor Type | # of All Donors | # of Non-Hispanic Black Donors | Non-Hispanic Black % of All Donors | # of Non-Hispanic White Donors | Non-Hispanic White % of All Donors |
| Living | 7,030 | 513 | 7.3 | 4,794 | 68.2 |
| Deceased | 16,988 | 2,508 | 14.8 | 11,179 | 65.8 |
| Total | 24,018 | 3,021 | 12.6 | 15,973 | 66.5 |
| U.S. organ donors recovered, living vs deceased, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donor Type | # of Non-Hispanic Black Donors | Non-Hispanic Black % of All Donors | # of Non-Hispanic White Donors | Non-Hispanic White % of All Donors | |
| Living | 513 | 17.0 | 4,794 | 30.0 | |
| Deceased | 2,508 | 83.0 | 11,179 | 70.0 | |
| Total | 3,021 | 100.0 | 15,973 | 100.0 | |
1 HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). (Back to top)
2 HRSA. OPTN. (Back to top)
Last Edited: 02/13/2025