Organ Donation and African Americans
African Americans make up the largest group of minorities in need of an organ transplant. In 2019, blacks made up 12.8 percent of the national population.
- The number of organ transplants performed on blacks in 2020 was 27.7 percent of the number of blacks currently waiting for a transplant. The number of transplants performed on whites was 47.6 percent of the number currently waiting.
- While 28.5 percent of the total candidates currently waiting for transplants are blacks, they comprised 12.9 percent of organ donors in 2020.
- In 2020, 83.6 percent of donor organs from blacks were from deceased donors.
- In 2020, 16.4 percent of blacks were living donors as compared to 33.4 percent of white living donors.
- Although the total number of whites on organ transplant waiting lists is about 1.4 times greater than that of blacks, the number of candidates waiting for a kidney transplant is almost the same between blacks and whites.
- Blacks have higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure than the white population. These conditions are known to put patients at risk for organ failures.
| U.S. Transplant Waiting List – Candidates by Race/Ethnicity | |||||
| Organ | All Candidates | # of Black Candidates | Black % of All Candidates | # of White Candidates | White % of All Candidates |
| All Organs | 106,666 | 30,421 | 28.5 | 43,054 | 40.4 |
| Kidney | 90,235 | 28,365 | 31.4 | 32,377 | 35.9 |
| Liver | 11,704 | 836 | 7.1 | 7,865 | 67.2 |
| Heart | 3,531 | 990 | 28.0 | 2,004 | 56.8 |
| Lung | 922 | 118 | 11.9 | 661 | 66.6 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of August 23, 2021.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/*
| Transplants Performed in the U.S. by Recipient Ethnicity, 2020 | ||
| Number | Percentage of Total 2020 Transplants | |
| Black | 8,414 | 21.6 |
| White | 20,997 | 53.8 |
| Total Transplants | 39,036 | 100 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of August 23, 2021.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/
| U.S. Organ Donors Recovered, 2020 | |||||
| Donor Type | # of All Donors | # of Black Donors | % of All Black Donors | # of White Donors | % of All White Donors |
| Living | 5,729 | 390 | 6.8 | 4,129 | 72.1 |
| Deceased | 12,588 | 1,982 | 15.7 | 8,249 | 65.5 |
| Total | 18,317 | 2,372 | 12.9 | 12,378 | 67.6 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of August 23, 2021.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/
| U.S. Organ Donors Recovered, 2020 | ||||
| Donor Type | # of Black Donors | % of All Black Donors | # of White Donors | % of All White Donors |
| Living | 390 | 16.4 | 4,129 | 33.4 |
| Deceased | 1,982 | 83.6 | 8,249 | 66.6 |
| Total | 2,372 | 100 | 12,378 | 100 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of August 23, 2021.
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: 08/26/2021