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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office of Minority Health

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Organ Donation and Asian Americans

Diabetes and heart disease are less prevalent among Asian Americans than other minority groups. Even so, they suffer significantly from liver disease and hepatitis. These conditions are known to put patients at risk for organ failures. In 2019, Asian Americans made up 5.7 percent of the national population.

  • The number of organ transplants performed on Asian Americans in 2020 was only 24.7 percent of the number of Asians currently waiting for a transplant. The number of transplants performed on whites was 48.8 percent of the number currently waiting.
  • While 8.5 percent of the total candidates currently waiting for transplants are Asian, they comprised 3.1 percent of organ donors in 2020.
  • In 2020, 43.1 percent of the organs recovered from Asians came from living donors as compared to 33.4 percent of white living donors.

 

U.S. Transplant Waiting List – Candidates by Race/Ethnicity
Organ All Candidates # of Asian Candidates Asian % of All Candidates # of White Candidates White % of All Candidates
All Organs 106,666 9,069 8.5 43,054 40.4
Kidney 90,235 8,331 9.2 32,377 35.9
Liver 11,704 602 5.1 7,865 67.2
Heart 3,531 97 2.7 2,004 56.8
Lung 922 41 4.1 661 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
Asian 2,236 5.7
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 Asian Donors % of All Asian Donors # of White Donors % of All White Donors
Living 5,729 243 4.2 4,129 72.1
Deceased 12,588 321 2.6 8,249 65.5
Total 18,317 564 3.1 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 Asian Donors % of All Asian Donors # of White Donors % of All White Donors
Living 243 43.1 4,129 33.4
Deceased 321 56.9 8,249 66.6
Total 564 100 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 Modified: 8/26/2021 4:48:00 PM