Record numbers of Danish people are now donating a new organ

Record number of Danish people donate a new organ

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Changed guidelines have led to a significant increase in organ donations.

The number of Danish people who have donated an organ has never been higher. (Archive photo). (Photo: © Jeff Pachoud, AFP/Ritzau Scanpix) 24 minutes ago

Record numbers of patients were saved in 2025 by receiving a new heart, a new kidney, lungs or another organ.

In total, 455 Danish patients received a life-saving organ in 2025, according to a new report from the Danish Center for Organ Donation.

This is 20% more than ten years ago.

- It's absolutely fantastic and a result of the work that doctors and nurses do on the hospital wards, in terms of always assessing whether organ donation is actually a possibility, says Helle Haubro Andersen, leader of the Danish Center for Organ Donation.

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Donations after circulatory death

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The reason for more people donating an organ is mainly due to one important change, she explains.

In 2023, new recommendations for organ donation were introduced, so that larger internal organs can also be donated when death is confirmed by the cessation of breathing, and the heart stops beating.

This is called donation after circulatory death.

Before this, it was the practice in Denmark to only use internal organs after the brain death criterion, where a person is declared dead because all brain functions have ceased.

- The most important reason is that we have expanded the group of patients who have the opportunity to donate their organs after their death, she says.

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Minister: Excellent results

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Interior and Health Minister Sophie Løhde (V) calls the development "excellent" and a result of the government's targeted work. where among other things, a national action plan has been created.

- We are pleased to see some excellent results in the organ donation area, she says

- As health minister, it is a place I really care about, because it is a place where we simply give the opportunity for people to get their lives back after standing on a very difficult waiting list, says Sophie Løhde.

In 2024, all Danish residents over 18 years old received a letter encouraging them to take a stance on organ donation, and last summer, new rules came into effect (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/regeringen-vil-goere-organdonation-automatisk ), where one is automatically registered as a potential organ donor. One must still confirm the registration to become an active donor.

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Letters and pop-up messages

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However, there is still a need for more organ donations, says Helle Haubro Andersen from the Danish Center for Organ Donation.

- We can see that there are still 400 on the waiting list for a new organ, she says.

According to health minister Sophie Løhde, there are more initiatives on the way. There will be more letters, campaigns and soon also pop-up messages on public websites.

- Where there will be a small reminder: 'Remember now to take a stance on organ donation', because it is so important, she says.

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'It's an urgent matter'

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According to Helle Haubro Andersen from the Danish Center for Organ Donation, they are also looking more closely at whether it is possible to secure even more potential donor organs on the hospital wards.

This can be a question of working hours.

- When the donation must take place, it is indeed an urgent matter, she says.

When a patient dies, for example from a brain hemorrhage, the staff must be ready to quickly carry out the organ donation, while also taking into account the possible relatives who also need to be taken into account.

- There is a family behind this, who also need to be included. For them, it is a farewell ceremony, she says.

- One must have the competencies for this. And there can be barriers, where one overlooks that there may be a potential donor, she says.

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