Still a good year for organ donations in Quebec despite slight decline

Surgical instruments are arranged during an organ procurement surgery June 15, 2023. (Mark Humphrey/The Associated Press)

Despite a slight decline in organ donations in Quebec, officials say 2025 was still one of the best transplant years in the last decade.

In total, 196 donors enabled 617 organs to be transplanted, according to data published on Thursday by Transplant Québec.

By comparison, in 2024, 644 organs were transplanted thanks to 206 donors.

“The number of donors is slightly lower than in the last two years, but it remains among our top three years in the province,” said Sylvain Lavigne, director of nursing and institutional support at Transplant Québec.

“Every year, there is some fluctuation in the number of donors. We may see a slight decrease or increase from one year to the next, which does not necessarily reflect poorer performance. Sometimes, it is simply that there were fewer donors available that year.”

Transplant Québec manages the process of organ donation and distribution across the province.

The 2025 report highlights that since the 2000s, the number of referrals has increased by 225 per cent, the number of donors has grown by 38 per cent and the number of organs transplanted has jumped by 11 per cent.

However, the list of people awaiting an organ transplant has also grown.

In 2025, there were 898 people on the wait list, 33 of whom later died.

“Demand, the number of people waiting, is always greater than the availability of organs. This is a reality that is not unique to Canada; it is the same situation almost everywhere in the world,” said Lavigne.

“There are more people in need of organs than there are organs available. It is a somewhat unique situation specific to donations and transplants. This is why we place such a strong emphasis on ensuring we do not miss out on potential donors.”

In 2025, there were 1,025 organ donation referrals, of which only 246 were eligible.

Lavigne explained that this rate is normal.

“It gives a fairly consistent percentage over time of the number of referrals that will go ahead out of the number of calls we receive for potential donors,” he said.

“The idea is really to create a funnel, where professionals refer all potential cases using broad criteria, and we can respond to that call by looking at all the criteria that may apply, depending on which patient is currently on the waiting list, are there urgent needs that mean we might consider this particular donor, whereas in another context we would not.”

Organ donations and MAID

The majority of causes of death among organ donors in Quebec remain stroke, anoxia (insufficient oxygen supply to the organs) and head trauma.

Since its approval in 2017, there has also been an upward trend in organ donations in the context of medical assistance in dying (MAID).

There were 27 MAID donors in 2025, the same number as in 2024.

There were also 101 instances of refused MAID and eight donors who withdrew.

Organ donation is discussed by professionals during end-of-life care, but not before a request for MAID has been independently approved, in accordance with the criteria in force in Quebec.

“We believe this is a good thing because it allows people seeking medical assistance in dying to give some meaning to their end-of-life situation, amidst difficult decisions,” said Lavigne.

Furthermore, data from Transplant Québec indicate that around four in 10 Quebecers have officially registered their wish to be organ donors upon death, according to the Organ Donation Consent Register of the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).

More specifically, there are 3.94 million people registered with the RAMQ and 3.03 million with the Organ Donation Consent Register of the Chambre des notaires du Québec.

When Transplant Québec conducts surveys among the general public, nine out of 10 say they are in favour of organ donation.

“It’s just that I think for these people, that doesn’t necessarily translate into the final step of putting the sticker on or signing the RAMQ consent form,” said Lavigne.

Transplant Québec says it would like the government to set up a single register to simplify the registration process.

Top-performing regions

The metropolitan area once again ranked first among the best-performing regions on a per capita basis, with a rate of 22 potential donors per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean at 20.6 potential donors and Mauricie -Centre-du-Québec at 16.6 potential donors.

Quebec also has a lower ratio than Ontario, which has a rate of 22.4 deceased donors per million inhabitants, compared to 21.6 for Quebec.

Data for 2025 for the other Canadian provinces is not available.

Elsewhere in the world, Spain, recognized as a model for organ donation, has a rate of 51.4 deceased donors per million inhabitants.

In the United States, the figure stands at 48.5 and in France at 23.1.

The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 16, 2026.