This map, published by Maps Interlude in 2023, shows the ratio of organ donors in each European country. The values indicate the number of deceased persons who donate organs each year per million inhabitants.

Organ donation networks still vary greatly across Europe. At the top of the table, with a significant lead, is Spain, with almost 50 donors per million inhabitants, which also ranks first worldwide. Next are other southern European countries such as Croatia (34.6), Portugal (33.8) and France (33.3). At the bottom of the ranking are several Eastern European countries, such as Ukraine (0.1), Bosnia-Herzegovina (0.9) and North Macedonia (1.4).

There are many factors that can explain these differences between countries. One of the main ones is the consent model. In countries with an opt-out model, such as Spain or Croatia, all deceased persons are considered potential donors unless they have expressed their refusal during their lifetime. This is not usually sufficient, as Greece, which has the same model, ranks at the bottom of the list in Europe. Another factor that is considered important is hospital coordination, so that all potential donors have their organs properly preserved and efficiently transferred to ensure successful transplants.

Sources

• Deceased organ donor rate in Europe