Figures on tissues
Are you looking for current figures on tissue donation, waiting lists, or tissue transplantation? View our interactive data dashboards.
General tips
- Preferably use a laptop or PC for the reports.
- Start with the Information tab to properly understand what the report is about.
Privacy and data
The NTS handles personal data with the utmost care. We only publish aggregated data to protect the privacy of donors, surviving relatives, and recipients.
Tissue extractions per year
In this simple report you can see the number of tissue extractions in the Netherlands per year.
Explanation of this report
Tissues that you can donate include: eye tissue, skin, bone tissue, heart valves, and a part of the aorta. In this report you can see per year how many tissues have been extracted. In the report you will find the number of donors from whom tissue has been extracted. This can be: eye tissue, skin, bone, heart valve, or a part of the aorta.
Good to know:
- Some donors have donated multiple types of tissue, such as eye tissue and bones. This overview shows the number of donors per type of tissue.
- The number of extracted tissues is higher than the number of donors per type of tissue. For example, in the case of eye tissue, it usually concerns the extraction of both eyes, and a donor can donate two heart valves.
- The number of tissues retrieved is not the same as the number of tissue transplants. After retrieval, the tissue is assessed and stored by tissue banks, where it can be kept for a longer period of time. Therefore, it may take a while before tissue from a donor is transplanted.
Furthermore, not all of the retrieved tissue is always transplanted. Sometimes only a small part is needed, such as a small piece of bone for repairing bone fractures. In this way, tissue from a single tissue donor can go to multiple patients.
Tissue donation figures
Would you like to know how many tissue donations there are in the Netherlands? In this report you will find, among other things:
- Number of tissue donations and trends
- Characteristics of donors
- Cause of death of donors
About this report
Tissue is stored in tissue banks after removal. There is not enough supply of all tissues.
- There are waiting lists in the Netherlands for corneas and heart valves.
- You can see the patients currently waiting for ocular tissue and heart valves/vessels. We show the data from the first day of the month.
- This concerns the number of patients in the Netherlands.
Tissue transplantation figures
How many tissue transplantations are performed in the Netherlands? View the figures here.
Number of tissue transplantations in the Netherlands (cumulative)
| Jan 1 to Aug 31, 2025 | Jan 1 to Aug 31, 2024 | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye tissue | 1423 | 1333 | 7% |
| Heart valves and blood vessels | 115 | 111 | 4% |
About this report
- The table shows how many tissue transplants took place in 2025.
- Also see how this compares to the same period last year.
Frequently asked questions about figures
How can I be sure I am using the correct figures?
You are always welcome to share figures from these reports in presentations or publications. Just make sure you are sharing the correct data.
Check the filters
- Make sure you know which filters are enabled.
- Check whether the correct filters are (still) active before copying data.
- State which filters you used, meaning which specific characteristics are shown.
Check the date
- There is always a date at the bottom of the report. State the date found under 'last updated'.
- Figures for the past month are published on the first day of the month. Late registrations are processed daily. So always check the latest figures.
Be careful with interpretations
Be cautious about personal interpretations or drawing conclusions. Often, multiple factors are at play. In doubt? Ask for advice via info@transplantatiestichting.nl.
What is a good way to share figures?
- For a presentation: show the interactive dashboards live and take your audience through the most up-to-date figures that way.
- For publications: take a screenshot or use a snipping tool.
- Just make sure you always cite the Dutch Transplant Foundation (NTS) as the source.
How can I request data from the NTS?
- Are you a journalist or a student and do you need specific data? Then submit a request viainfo@transplantatiestichting.nl.Clearly state which data you are looking for and for what purpose. Unfortunately, we cannot fulfill all requests due to privacy and legal regulations.
- Are you conducting scientific research and do you need a specific dataset? Send your data request todataverzoek@transplantatiestichting.nl
How does the NTS take privacy and legal regulations into account?
The NTS handles personal data with the utmost care. We only publish aggregated data to protect the privacy of donors, surviving relatives, and recipients. The NTS complies with:
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- Organ Donation Act (Wod). This stipulates that organ and tissue donation is anonymous. The donor's surviving relatives do not know who received the organs and tissues. Nor does the recipient know from whom their new organ came.
Our figures can therefore never be traced back to individuals. They are always presented in categories or larger numbers.
Questions about figures?
Are you missing something or do you have a question? Contact us.
NTS Member site
The member site contains detailed data dashboards for organs and tissues. These are accessible to specific target groups.
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