NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of deceased organ donors among all states in 2025, followed by Telangana and Karnataka, according to data released by the Union Health Ministry on Monday.
The state also ranked second in the country in terms of total organ transplants, performing 2,796 procedures out of more than 20,000 conducted nationwide in 2025, according to the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO). The data was released on the occasion of the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day.
Delhi topped the list with 4,564 organ transplants, followed by Tamil Nadu (2,796), Maharashtra (2,136), Telangana (1,523) and Kerala (1,489).
Tamil Nadu, which has the highest number of transplant centres in the country at 172 out of more than 800 nationwide, also recorded the highest number of kidney, heart, liver, lung, pancreas and small bowel transplants in 2025.
The state also accounted for 135, or 9%, of the 1,560 organ transplants performed on foreign nationals from 63 countries during the year. Delhi topped this category as well, accounting for 76% of all such transplants.
The data also highlighted a gender disparity in organ donation and transplantation. Women accounted for 68% (11,316) of all living organ donors, while men made up the remaining 32% (5,298). In contrast, men constituted 78% (12,903) of living donor recipients, while women accounted for only 22% (3,707).
Kidney transplants accounted for 62.03% of all organ transplants performed in India in 2025, followed by liver transplants at 20.46%.
A total of 20,138 organ transplants were carried out across the country in 2025, the highest ever recorded in a single year. This represents a fourfold increase from 4,990 transplants in 2013 and a 6.5% rise over the 18,911 procedures performed in 2024.
Deceased donor organ transplants also registered significant growth, increasing more than fourfold from 837 in 2013 to 3,526 in 2025.
Tamil Nadu was recognised as the best-performing state for recording the highest number of deceased organ donors, with 266 donors. It was followed by Telangana (205), Karnataka (198), Maharashtra (154), Gujarat (152), Andhra Pradesh (93), Delhi NCR (33), Kerala (25) and Punjab (20).
Releasing the NOTTO Annual Report 2025-26, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said India continues to be a global leader in living donor organ transplantation, ranking third after the US and China.
However, she stressed the need to further strengthen the organ donation movement, noting that a substantial gap remains between the demand for organs and their availability.
Calling it a "national priority", Patel said, "Organ donation is the highest expression of compassion, as it offers a second chance at life to those battling end-stage organ failure."
Among individual organs, 1,986 deceased donor kidney transplants were performed in 2025, up from 1,918 in 2024. The figures stood at 1,635 in 2023 and 1,541 in 2022.
Living donor kidney transplants increased to 12,491 in 2025 from 11,558 in 2024. The corresponding figures were 11,791 in 2023 and 10,164 in 2022.
A total of 5,154 liver transplants were performed in 2025, compared to 4,901 in 2024, 4,491 in 2023 and 3,920 in 2022.
Heart transplants declined to 239 in 2025 from 253 in 2024. In 2023, only 221 heart transplants were performed, down from 243 in 2022.
Lung transplants also fell to 210 in 2025 from 228 in 2024. The figure stood at 197 in 2023, up from 144 in 2022.
Pancreas transplants declined to 35 in 2025 from 44 in 2024. The numbers were 27 in 2023 and 26 in 2022.
Kidney-pancreas transplants also dipped to 26 in 2025 from 37 in 2024. The corresponding figures were 23 in 2023 and 22 in 2022.
In contrast, small bowel transplants increased to 23 in 2025 from nine in 2024. The figure stood at 16 in 2023 and just three in 2022.
A single deceased donor can save up to eight lives and improve the quality of life of many others.
Highlighting India's progress, Patel said the country has crossed five lakh Aadhaar-verified organ donation pledges since the launch of the national digital pledge portal in 2023.
However, she noted that misconceptions surrounding organ donation continue to be a major challenge.
"No major religion prohibits organ donation. Rather, all faiths uphold the values of compassion, service and saving lives, making organ donation a noble humanitarian act," she said.
On the occasion, Patel launched the 'Jug Jug Jiyo Abhiyaan', a year-long nationwide awareness campaign aimed at promoting organ donation across communities and reinforcing the message that organ donation is the greatest gift of life, allowing a donor's legacy to live on through recipients.
She also launched the NOTTO Mobile App and unveiled the National Brain Stem Death Certification Guidelines and the National Guidelines on Swap Transplantation, aimed at standardising practices and strengthening policy implementation across the country.