South India takes lead deceased organ donations in 2025: Tamil Nadu tops ranking

The Union Health and Family Welfare department of the Indian government on Monday (Aug 3) released the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) Annual Report 2025-26 and Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka emerged as the top three states for deceased organ donations in 2025. The data was released on the occasion of the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day. As South Indian states topped the list, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said that India continues to be a global leader in living donor organ transplantation, ranking third after the US and China. Calling it a "national priority", Patel launched the 'Jug Jug Jiyo Abhiyaan', a year-long nationwide awareness campaign aimed at promoting organ donation across communities. She also urged more people to participate in organ donation calling it “the highest expression of compassion.”

South Indian states topped the list

According to the official NOTTO annual data, Tamil Nadu emerged as India's top state for deceased organ donations and Delhi topped the list of organ transplants. Tamil Nadu also secured the second position nationwide for total organ transplants performed in 2025. Delhi recorded 4,564 transplants followed by Tamil Nadu (2,796), Maharashtra (2,136), Telangana (1,523) and Kerala (1,489). In deceased organ donations, Tamil Nadu recorded 266 deceased donors, while Telangana at second number recorded 205 deceased donors.

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The data revealed that a total of 20,138 organ transplants were carried out across the country in 2025, the highest ever recorded in a single year. It also highlighted a gender disparity in organ donation and transplantation. Women accounted for 68 per cent (11,316) of all living organ donors, while men made up the remaining 32 per cent(5,298). In contrast, men constituted 78 per cent (12,903) of living donor recipients, while women accounted for only 22 per cent (3,707).Kidney transplants accounted for 62 per cent of all organ transplants performed in India in 2025, followed by liver transplants at 20.46 per cent.

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Patel also said: “No major religion prohibits organ donation. Rather, all faiths uphold the values of compassion, service and saving lives, making organ donation a noble humanitarian act,” reinforcing the message that organ donation is the greatest gift of life. She launched the NOTTO Mobile App and unveiled the National Brain Stem Death Certification Guidelines and the National Guidelines on Swap Transplantation.