
Many Try to Mimic Spain’s Organ Donation Success
Spain has been a leading nation in organ donations for years, with the highest number of donations in the EU and accounting for 5% of global donors. In 2023, Spain reached its all-time high in organ transplants, with one in four EU donors coming from the country. Their approach focuses on in-hospital organization and specially trained staff to identify potential donors. Crucial to Spain’s success is the practice of donation after circulatory death, a concept not widely implemented in Denmark. Unlike the ongoing debates in Denmark regarding consent for organ donation, Spain historically gave less importance to individual donor registration, often leaving the decision to family members. Spain’s donation rate was 48.9 donors per million people in 2023, the highest globally.