Organ donation rises in western German states, Saarland leads per capita

Donor numbers edge up in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate

Hesse registered 30 organ donors in the first five months of 2026, four more than in the same period a year earlier, according to data released by the German Organ Transplantation Foundation (DSO) ahead of Organ Donation Day this Saturday. Rhineland-Palatinate recorded 19 donors, an increase of three. The statistics count only deceased donors from whom at least one organ was recovered in a hospital in the respective state and subsequently transplanted elsewhere in Germany or abroad.

Saarland holds steady on donors but organs recovered jump

Saarland's donor count remained unchanged at seven, exactly matching the January-to-May figure from 2025. The number of organs recovered, however, rose sharply: 26 organs were donated, ten more than in the prior-year period. This suggests each donor in Saarland provided more transplantable organs on average than in the previous year.

Organ totals climb across the three states

Across the three states, the combined number of donated organs grew. Hesse saw 95 organs donated, up 27. Rhineland-Palatinate reached 67 organs, an increase of 18. Saarland's 26 organs represented a gain of 10. The DSO reported that nationwide, organ donations rose by roughly twelve percent in the first five months of the year compared with the same stretch in 2025.

Per-capita comparisons show regional variation

Saarland leads the three states with 16.8 donors per million inhabitants, well above the national average of 13.1. Hesse sits at 11.6 donors per million, and Rhineland-Palatinate at 11.1. The figures highlight how smaller states can post outsized per-capita rates even with modest absolute numbers.

Organ Donation Day provides backdrop for the release

The DSO published the figures to coincide with Organ Donation Day, observed this Saturday. The annual event aims to raise awareness about organ donation in Germany, where the donor rate has historically lagged behind some European neighbours. The foundation's data covers only post-mortem donations processed through hospitals in each state, with organs distributed nationally and, in some cases, to recipients abroad.