Organ donation in the United Kingdom (UK) - Statistics & Facts
Organ donation is the act of donating organs to another individual either whilst living or after death. Until recently, the organ donation system in the United Kingdom was voluntary, meaning consent was not presumed. However, all countries of the UK have changed their laws. While the wording is slightly different in each country, they all have an ‘opt-out’ system which means unless a person makes an explicit recorded decision not to donate, they will be considered an organ donor after passing away. The proportion of the population signing up to the organ donation register has gradually increased over the years, to 42 percent of the UK population as of March 2025.
