Quarter of Dutch registered as organ donors

Almost a quarter of the Dutch population, aged 12 years and up, registered as willing organ donors on the donor registry last year. These people gave permission for their organs or tissue to be used after death.

This is according to figures Statistics Netherlands released on Tuesday. Last year 40 percent of the Dutch population aged 12 and older registered on the donor registry. 24 percent gave permission for their organs to be used after death. A small percentage left the decision up to their surviving relatives, and 11 percent explicitly stated that they would not donate organs.

According to Statistics Netherlands, the percentage of registered donors vary by province. Noord-Brabant has the most people registered on the donor registry at 43 percent of its population. 27 percent indicated that they are willing to donate their organs.

Zuid-Holland and Flevoland are the two provinces with the least residents registered, with 36 and 37 percent respectively. The number of willing donors in these provinces are also significantly lower at 21 percent.

Statistics Netherlands believes that there is a correlation between the number of willing donors in a province and the religious involvement in the community. Communities with a high proportion of faithful church goers, often have more people indicating that they do not want to donate their organs.