Nearly 25 percent of Dutch register as organ donors

Almost a quarter of the Dutch population aged 12 years and older were registered as organ donors in 2015. That is about 2 million women and 1.6 million men, according to figures released by Statistics Netherlands on Tuesday.

According to the Netherlands Transplant Foundation, about a thousand people are on the waiting list for organ transplants - most of them are waiting for a kidney.

Last year 40 percent of the Dutch population were listed on the donor registry, and 24 percent gave permission for his or her organs or tissues to be used after death. A small proportion left the decision up to their relatives and 11 percent, 53 thousand people, explicitly stated that their organs can not be used.

Dutch people get more willing to donate their organs the older they get, up until the age of 65 when the willingness decreases again. In the age group 12 to 25 years, 17 percent are on the registry and 12 percent are organ donors. In the age group 45 to 65 years, 48 percent are on the registry and 30 percent are organ donors. From there approval to use organs after death decreases. In the age group 65 to 48 years 41.9 percent are on the registry and 22 percent are organ donors, among 85 year olds and older it is nearly 40 percent and only 13 percent respectively.