Italy Reports Record Organ, Tissue, and Cell Donations in 2025
Why this is here: The report details a 47.2% increase in reports of donations after cardiac death, leading to a 50.6% rise in transplants from this method and accounting for nearly 20% of all transplants performed in Italy last year.
Italy’s transplant network achieved record numbers of organ, tissue, and cell donations and transplants in 2025. The preliminary report from the National Transplant Center (CNT) shows 2,164 organ donations, a 3.2% increase from 2024, originating from 3,293 potential donor reports. This activity resulted in 4,697 transplants, 55 more than the previous year.
The national donation rate reached 30.2 donors per million people, placing Italy among the European leaders. Regions with the highest donation rates include Veneto, Tuscany, and Piedmont. Donations after cardiac death increased significantly, with a 47.2% rise in reports.
Conversely, registered objections to organ donation increased to 40.1% when applying for electronic identity cards, up from 36.3% in 2024. Tissue and hematopoietic stem cell donations also hit record highs, with 16,825 tissue donations and 490 effective stem cell donations.