Edward Marchesi In 2025, Italy confirmed its leading position in Europe: with 30,9 deceased donors per million inhabitants, the country ranked second among major European Union nations in terms of donation rate, behind only Spain. This achievement is the fruit of a national transplant network capable of transforming donation decisions into lifesaving interventions, thanks to rigorous protocols and strong collaboration between hospitals, coordinators, and families.
National data 2025: donation rate and transplanted organs
In 2025, 1.827 deceased donors were identified in Italy; in 1.760 cases , at least one organ was successfully harvested and transplanted. Among the most sought-after organs, kidneys stand out (19.474 transplants at EU level), but Italian livers and hearts stand out: with 1.753 liver transplants and 451 heart transplants, Italy leads the EU in absolute numbers.
The transplant rate per million inhabitants translates to 29,6 livers and 7,6 hearts per year, placing the country fifth globally in both rankings. These numbers reflect advanced operational capacity and effective waiting list management, allowing the rapid conversion of available organs into clinical interventions.
Heart failure donation and liver transplants: a new impetus
A rapidly growing segment is donation after cardiac death, also known as non-cardiac donation . In the year under review, 456 people in this category , representing a quarter of all donors, underwent at least one transplant. Thanks to these programs, 394 liver transplants were performed, contributing to a national rate of 6,7 liver transplants per million inhabitants, second only to Spain.
This procurement method significantly increases the chances of finding suitable organs, especially for critically ill patients, while maintaining high standards of quality and safety throughout the entire process, from collection to storage.
Leadership in textiles and future prospects
In addition to solid organs, Italy also stands out in the tissue and cell sector . The European platform Eurocet highlights that the country leads the EU rankings for cornea donations (11.642 donations, 196,7 per million), skin , placenta, and amniotic membranes , and ranks second for blood vessels and third for musculoskeletal tissue and heart valves . These data confirm a tissue production capacity that supports numerous reconstructive and ophthalmological procedures.
The Director General of the National Transplant Center, Giuseppe Feltrin, emphasizes that "the results achieved are the fruit of the generosity of donors, the daily work of professionals, and a coordinated network." However, he notes that over 8.000 people are still waiting for an organ, calling for increased awareness and simplified donation processes.
On European Blood Donation Day , celebrating the progress made in Paphos, Cyprus, offers an opportunity to discuss best practices, ethics, and cross-border cooperation, under the slogan "Sharing Lives." The event draws attention to the importance of maintaining and strengthening the network, so that the number of lives saved continues to grow.