2025 ORGAN DONATION REPORT: The typical organ donor profile has changed since the beginning of the century

MONTREAL, April 16, 2026 /CNW/ - As the province gets set to mark National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, Transplant Québec is drawing up its 2025 report. Since the 2000s, the number of referrals, donors and transplanted organs has increased by 225%, 38% and 11%, respectively. Thanks to the generosity of donors and their families, hundreds of people have been given a new lease on life. In 2025, some 196 donors made it possible to transplant 617 organs, figures that underscore the remarkable progress that has been achieved over the years.

This progress can be attributed in part to changing donor profiles over the past quarter century: In 2025, donations following death determination by circulatory criteria accounted for 35% donors, and the number of people who generously offered their organs following approval of their application for medical aid in dying stands at 27. These are the types of donors that have emerged over the past 25 years thanks to the improvement and evolution of medical practices.

In addition to the evolution of techniques, these performances also reflect Transplant Québec's expertise and effectiveness, which have allowed more than 16,000 people to receive a transplant over the past 55 years. Behind these figures are saved lives and families that  are seeing light at the end of the tunnel after years of worry.

Recognized expertise and recommendations still in force

The last three years have also been marked by record numbers. The fact that 1,611 people have received a transplant during this period speaks to the know-how, efficiency, and agility of Transplant Québec's teams. This performance is a testament to the competence of the hundreds of professionals who have spent years developing leading-edge expertise, which has been integrated into Quebec hospitals and recognized across the organ donation and transplantation network.

In order to continue progressing, to meet the needs of hundreds of Quebecers waiting for an organ, and to save more lives, it is crucial to implement the recommendations stemming from the 2024 parliamentary commission aimed at exploring means of facilitating organ donation.

The three top-performing regions in Quebec

In terms of organ donation referrals, the metropolitan area ranks first among the best-performing regions in proportion to its population, with a rate of 22 potential donors per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (20.6) and Mauricie-Centre-du-Québec (16.6) regions. Also worth noting is that the referral rate in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean increased for the fourth consecutive year and that the Gaspésie-Iles-de-la-Madeleine region posted its best results since 2022.

Highlights at a glance (2025):

• 196 deceased donors in Quebec made it possible to transplant 617 organs.
• 1,025 organ donation referrals made to Transplant Québec.
• 898 people registered on the single waiting list managed by Transplant Québec (as of December 31,).
• 1,611 people received a transplant in the last three years.
• More than 16,000 people have received a transplant since Transplant Québec's inception  more than 55 years ago.

The complementary information sheet can be viewed here.
The 2025 organ donation report for Quebec is available here.

Quotations

"These results point to significant growth dating back several years, and we're extremely proud of them. But while we can take pride in this rapid growth, continued progress depends on the recommendations set out of the 2024 parliamentary commission being implemented. It is essential to focus our efforts on these priority issues if we wish to keep saving more lives and meeting the needs of the hundreds of Quebecers waiting for an organ transplant each year. To continue improving our outcomes, we must act decisively and build on the living strengths of our community," said Martine Bouchard, Executive Director of Transplant Québec.

About Transplant Québec

Transplant Québec has a mandate from the Minister of Health and Social Services to save lives and improve the health of people in need of a transplant by coordinating the organ donation process, ensuring the fair allocation of organs, helping improve clinical practices through joint efforts and mobilization with partners, and promoting organ donation across society. For more than 55 years, Transplant Québec has actively worked to ensure that the greatest possible number of Quebecers waiting for an organ can benefit from a transplant. http://www.transplantquebec.ca

SOURCE Transplant Québec

Sandy Bastien, Transplant Québec, 514 286-1414 poste 219, 514 606-2130, [email protected]