Italy has solidified its position as a leading nation in organ donation and transplantation, ranking second among large European Union countries for its deceased donor rate. According to the Transplant 2026 Newsletter, the international report compiled by the European Committee on Organ Transplantation of the Council of Europe and Spain's National Transplant Organization, Italy recorded 30.9 deceased donors per million inhabitants in 2025.
This figure places the country behind only Spain, which achieved a rate of 53.2, and ahead of France (28.7), the United Kingdom (20.7), and Germany (11.7). The data, released to coincide with European Day for Organ, Tissue, and Cell Donation held in Paphos, Cyprus, from October 8 to 10, underscores the strength of Italy's national transplant network.
Of the 1,827 donors identified in Italy last year, at least one organ was actually retrieved and transplanted in 1,760 cases. The report, which analyzes data from 96 countries representing 77 percent of the world's population, also highlights the growing contribution of donation after circulatory death. In Italy, 456 donors fell into this category, exactly a quarter of the total, and 428 of them enabled at least one transplant. These programs resulted in 394 liver transplants, among others. With a rate of 6.7 per million inhabitants, Italy ranks second in this specific field compared to Spain, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, trailing only Spain.
On the European stage, Italy holds the top position in the European Union for the absolute number of liver transplants (1,753) and heart transplants (451). When adjusted for population, the country ranks fifth worldwide in both categories, with 29.6 liver transplants and 7.6 heart transplants per million inhabitants. Within Europe, it is first for liver and second for heart transplants.
Giuseppe Feltrin, general director of the Italian National Transplant Center, attributed these results to the generosity of donors and their families, as well as the daily work of professionals and coordinators within the national network. «The second place among large European countries for donation rate and the global positioning in liver and heart transplant activity reflect a solid Italian network, capable of offering treatment opportunities through donation from people of all ages, including advanced age, and with circulatory death programs, always respecting high quality and safety standards,» Feltrin said. He also noted that more than 8,000 people remain on waiting lists, emphasizing the need to expand donation possibilities, strengthen the system's organization, and continue public information efforts.
The Transplant 2026 Newsletter also provides a broader snapshot of donation and transplantation across Europe and the world. In the 27 EU member states, a total of 11,044 deceased donors were recorded, leading to 32,809 organ transplants: 19,474 kidneys, 8,179 livers, 2,455 hearts, 2,155 lungs, 524 pancreases, and 22 intestines. Globally, there were 49,169 deceased donors and nearly 184,000 organ transplants, representing an overall increase of 3.5 percent compared to 2024. Thirty percent of global donors were individuals after circulatory death.
Italy also stands out in the field of tissues and cells, according to data collected through Eurocet, the European platform managed by the National Transplant Center. Among EU states that reported individual indicators, Italy ranks first for corneal donations, skin, and placenta and amniotic membranes; second for blood vessels; and third for musculoskeletal tissues and heart valves. The most striking record concerns ocular tissues: Italy registered 11,642 corneal donations, equivalent to 196.7 per million inhabitants, the highest rate among EU countries that provided data.
In this context, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare of the Council of Europe published the sixth edition of its Guide to the Quality and Safety of Tissues and Cells for Human Application. This document serves as the European technical reference for ensuring quality and safety throughout all stages of donation, processing, and clinical application of tissues and cells.