Number of patients active on organ transplant waiting list in Germany 2019-2021

In 2021, the majority of individuals active on the organ donor list in Germany were waiting for a kidney. At just under ten thousand waiting for a kidney in 2021, this was fewer patients waiting than in the preceding two years. The number of patients waiting for a lung transplants has also decreased across the three-year period.

Transplant activity in Germany

In 2021, 23.7 kidney transplants per million population were carried out in Germany, a decrease from 2019 when this rate was at 25.9 per million population. Kidney transplants are the most common organ transplant procedure carried out in Germany, ahead of liver and heart transplants with a rate of 9.9 and 3.9 per million population respectively. Although, there were 843 patients in Germany who died on the transplant waiting list, just under half of the deceased were waiting for a kidney transplant.

European comparisons

The rate of kidney transplant procedures in Germany is low compared to many other European countries. In 2021, Germany ranked 22^nd out of the European Union countries in the rate of kidney transplants. Spain had the highest rate with 63.2 procedures per million population.