Organ donation rises in Kerala, yet lags behind TN, Karnataka; 42 kidney, 21 liver donations in 2025

People are becoming less hesitant to donate organs. Kerala has seen a reassuring increase in the number of people donating organs over the past few years, according to data from the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K-SOTTO).

Last year, 42 people donated kidneys. Corneas were donated by 45 people. While 21 people donated livers and seven donated hearts, two people donated hands. Earlier, in 2020, 41 people had donated kidneys. The highest number of hand donations was recorded in 2022, with six donors. Except for hands, donations of all other organs were highest last year.

According to the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation’s website, between 2023 and 2025, 10,436 people in Kerala pledged to donate organs after death. Those willing to donate organs posthumously can register their consent through the website.

Despite the increase in organ donation, Kerala still lags far behind neighbouring states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

In 2024, following brain death, 268 people donated organs in Tamil Nadu. The figure was 162 in Karnataka and 172 in Maharashtra. In the same year, only 11 families in Kerala were willing to donate organs. Meanwhile, the number of people waiting for organs in Kerala is more than ten times the number of those who have pledged to donate.

Organ donation figures