Budapest, January 15, 2026. – A record number of 63 living donor kidney transplants were performed in Hungary in 2025, which represents a 21.15% increase compared to the previous year. The pediatric heart transplant program, which has been operating at the Gottsegen György National Cardiovascular Institute (GOKVI) since 2007, also reached a milestone: last year the 100th heart transplant was performed – announced the Transplantation Directorate of the Hungarian National Blood Transfusion Service (HNBTS).
According to international data, a deceased organ donor gives society an average of 30.8 additional life years. Based on this, Hungarian organ donations in 2025 and transplants carried out within the framework of the Eurotransplant organ exchange provided a total of 4,528 additional life years for patients.
The Organ Coordination Office of the HNBTS received 209 donor reports from 54 hospitals in 2025. As a result, a total of 147 deceased donations were carried out in 43 institutions. 436 organs were procured from deceased donors and 63 organs from living donors for transplantation purposes.
Within the framework of the Eurotransplant cooperation, 89 foreign donor organs were transplanted in Hungary: 56 kidneys, 17 livers, 12 hearts, 1 pancreas and 3 lungs. 25.57% of deceased donor organ transplants were performed using foreign organs.
A total of 411 organ transplants were performed in 2025 in the seven transplant centers operating in the four medical university cities. Of these, 348 were performed with organs from deceased donors and 63 with organs from living donors.
During the year, 198 deceased donor kidney transplants were performed (98 in Budapest, 28 in Debrecen, 33 in Pécs, 39 in Szeged) and 63 living donor kidney transplants were performed (45 in Budapest, 3 in Debrecen, 12 in Pécs, 3 in Szeged). In addition, 71 liver transplants, 53 heart transplants (44 at Semmelweis University, 9 at GOKVI), 17 lung transplants, 7 combined kidney-pancreas transplants (6 in Budapest, 1 in Pécs), and 1-1 pancreas transplant each in Budapest and Pécs. The 411 transplanted organs provided a life-saving solution for a total of 403 patients.
In 2025, a total of 1,865 patients were on the transplant waiting list: 561 new patients were added during a year to the already registered 1,304 patients. At the end of the year, 1,327 patients were waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.
The waiting time was shortest for heart and lung transplants, averaging 0.47 years. The average waiting time for liver transplants was 0.92 years, for pancreas alone transplants 1.18 years, and for combined kidney-pancreas transplants 1.81 years. Those waiting for kidney transplants spent an average of 3.47 years on the list.
In addition to its organ donation coordination tasks, the Transplantation Directorate of the Hungarian Blood Transfusion Service also organizes public information and awareness-raising programs, hospital visits, and professional training courses to support the national organ donation programme. The continuation and development of these activities is essential in the future in the service of life-saving organ transplants.
Further information: www.ovsz.hu/szervdonacio
Hungarian National Blood Transfusion Service (HNBTS)
Transplantation Directorate
2026. 01. 22.
