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How many people donated organs in Scotland last year?

We reveal how many organ donations and transplants took place in Scotland last year.
We reveal how many people donated organs in Scotland last year.

New figures have revealed how many people donated organs in Scotland last year, with health bosses keen for even more to pledge their support.

Over the next seven days, a range of events are taking place across the country to mark Organ Donation Week.

The rules in Scotland changed almost six months ago, moving from an opt-in system to opting out.

Doctors will check with a deceased’s family before proceeding with any donation, so people are still being encouraged to sign the register and ensure their wishes are carried out.

How many transplants took place last year?

Across Scotland during the 2020/21 year, doctors were able to use the organs of 89 people who died in order to give others another chance at life.

Between them, a total of 293 solid organ transplants were conducted – the category which includes the likes of hearts, livers and lungs.

These figures were down slightly on the 98 donors and 306 transplants logged the year previously.

Meanwhile, 66 living transplants took place between patients – with kidney donations the most common.

Again, however, this number was lower than the 108 and 101 seen in previous years.

Where did the transplants take place?

Unsurprisingly, the health boards with the most patients had the highest numbers of deceased organ donors.

There were 25 in Lothian and 19 in Greater Glasgow, while there were nine in Grampian and six in Highland.

Several other areas, including Tayside and Fife, had fewer than five deceased donors.

The exact numbers cannot be revealed under freedom of information laws to help protect patients’ identities.

For more information on organ donation totals, see our interactive map below:


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