Explainer | Can an opt-out scheme boost Hong Kong’s low organ donation rate?
City’s organ donation rate is among the lowest in the world. The Post looks at whether an opt-out mechanism has helped boost rates elsewhere
The Post takes a look at Hong Kong’s organ donation situation and whether an opt-out mechanism has helped to drive up rates elsewhere.
1. How does Hong Kong’s organ donation rate stack up?
Hong Kong’s organ donation rate is among the lowest in the world. In 2024, there were 4.13 deceased donors per million people in Hong Kong, according to data from the International Registry in Organ Donation and Transplantation.
The figure was much lower than in countries with high donation rates, such as Spain, which had 53.93 deceased donors per million people, and the United States, which had 49.7.
Asian countries with relatively higher rates were Iran at 14.05 and South Korea at 7.75.
Japan, considered to be among the most developed countries in Asia, had a rate of 1.13 last year.