The number of organ donors in the Netherlands has increased by 30,000 due to young people's neglect of registration!
The number of registered organ donors in the Netherlands has increased by 30,000 people, mainly because many – especially young people – do not specify whether they wish to donate their organs after death, according to new data from the Dutch Statistics Agency (CBS).
Under Dutch law, every person aged 18 or older receives a message asking them to specify their position on organ donation after death. Since the law was amended in 2020, individuals who do not respond are automatically considered organ donors, although doctors still consult the deceased's family before proceeding with the donation.
Recent figures show that the youth category is the least involved in decision-making. About 41% of young people aged 18 to 25 have not yet registered their position, compared to 36% in 2022. This negative behavior has led to a significant increase in the number of automatically registered donors across the country.
The total number of registered organ donors exceeded 8 million people, of whom 4.8 million chose to donate voluntarily, while 3.3 million were registered automatically under the new system. The regions of Groningen and Rozendaal recorded the highest participation rates at 68% and 67% respectively, while the village of Urk in the 'evangelical belt' had the lowest active registration rate in the country at only 15%.
The CBS agency did not investigate the reasons for people's reluctance to register or their reasons for agreeing or refusing to donate, but the results indicate that the automatic registration system has significantly expanded the base of potential organ donors in the Netherlands.