Kidney Transplant by the Numbers
What SRTR data reveals about kidney transplant outcomes, wait times, and center performance across the US.
Kidney Transplant: The Largest Program
Kidney transplantation is the most common organ transplant performed in the United States, with approximately 27,000 kidney transplants completed annually. The kidney waiting list is also the longest — over 80,000 candidates at any given time, making it the organ type where center selection and wait time management matter most.
PlainTransplant tracks kidney transplant data for all active transplant centers, including 1-year and 3-year graft survival rates, transplant volumes, and waitlist statistics from SRTR.
Survival Rates: National Benchmarks
National 1-year kidney graft survival is approximately 95-97%. At 3 years, it is approximately 90-93%. At 5 years, 85-90% of transplanted kidneys are still functioning. These are among the highest success rates of any major surgery, and they have improved steadily over the past two decades.
Living vs. deceased donor: Living donor kidneys have consistently better outcomes — about 2-3 percentage points higher at every time interval. The primary driver is less cold ischemia time (time without blood flow during transport). See our living donor guide for details.
What affects individual outcomes: Donor quality, tissue matching (HLA compatibility), recipient age and health, adherence to immunosuppression medications, and whether the recipient has had previous transplants. SRTR risk-adjusts center-level data for these factors.
Wait Times: The Geographic Lottery
Kidney wait times vary more dramatically by geography than any other organ type. Median wait in high-demand areas (parts of California, New York, the Northeast) can exceed 7 years. In lower-demand areas (parts of the South and Midwest), median wait may be under 3 years.
This geographic variation is driven by the ratio of candidates to available organs in each region. Organ procurement organization (OPO) performance also plays a role — more effective OPOs recover more organs, benefiting the transplant centers in their service area.
O-blood-type candidates face the longest waits across all regions because O-type kidneys can be transplanted into any blood type, reducing the pool available specifically for O recipients.
Evaluating Kidney Transplant Centers
When comparing kidney transplant centers on PlainTransplant, the most useful metrics are:
- Annual transplant volume: Centers performing 100+ kidney transplants per year have the most reliable outcome data and typically the most experienced teams.
- 1-year graft survival vs. expected: SRTR provides an expected rate for each center. Centers performing above expected are outperforming given their patient complexity.
- Waitlist size and transplant rate: A center with a large waitlist but low transplant volume may have longer wait times.
Browse kidney transplant rankings to see how centers compare nationally, or use our state pages to find centers in your region.
What This Means for You
Step 1 — Explore living donation first. If any willing donor is available, this is the fastest path to transplant with the best expected outcomes.
Step 2 — List early. Wait time accrues from the date of listing, not from when you start dialysis. Getting listed as early as medically appropriate preserves your options.
Step 3 — Consider multiple listing. If your primary center has long wait times, evaluate listing at a center in a shorter-wait region. Your accumulated time transfers. See our waiting list guide.
Step 4 — Discuss acceptance criteria. Some centers are more aggressive in accepting marginal donors. This trade-off (shorter wait vs. potentially different outcomes) is worth discussing with your transplant team.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a kidney transplant last?
Living donor: 15-20 year median. Deceased donor: 10-15 year median. Some last 30+ years; factors include donor quality, tissue match, and medication adherence.
What is the success rate for kidney transplants?
1-year graft survival: 95-97%. 5-year: 85-90%. Rates have improved significantly over the past two decades.
How long is the wait for a kidney transplant?
Median 3-5 years nationally, but varies from under 3 years in some regions to over 7 years in others. O-blood-type candidates wait longest.
About This Guide
This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
Sources: SRTR (November 2025), OPTN, UNOS.
Kidney Transplant Outcomes by the Numbers
| Metric | Living Donor | Deceased Donor |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year graft survival | 97-98% | 95-96% |
| 3-year graft survival | 93-95% | 90-92% |
| 5-year graft survival | 88-92% | 82-87% |
| Median graft lifespan | 15-20 years | 10-15 years |
| Transplants/year (US) | ~6,500 | ~20,500 |
| Median wait time | No wait | 3-5 years |
The 2-3 percentage point advantage of living donor kidneys persists across all time intervals. This gap reflects reduced cold ischemia time (living donor kidneys are transplanted within 1-2 hours vs. 12-36 hours for deceased donors), better tissue matching, and generally healthier donors. However, both living and deceased donor kidneys can last 25-30+ years in optimal cases.
Worked Example: Comparing Two Centers
Consider two kidney transplant centers, both with strong reputations:
- Center A: 1-year survival 96.5%, 150 transplants/year, waitlist 450 candidates. Expected survival per SRTR: 95.0%
- Center B: 1-year survival 94.8%, 80 transplants/year, waitlist 120 candidates. Expected survival per SRTR: 94.5%
Center A has a higher raw survival rate (+1.7pp) but also performs nearly twice the volume. After SRTR risk-adjustment, Center A is performing +1.5pp above expected while Center B is +0.3pp above expected. Both are performing well, but Center A shows a stronger signal of outperformance relative to its patient mix.
However, Center B's smaller waitlist (120 vs 450) may translate to a shorter time-to-transplant for new listings. If Center B's average wait is 2.5 years vs Center A's 4.5 years, that difference alone may outweigh a small survival-rate edge for many patients.
Worked example: putting the numbers together
Consider two candidates on the kidney waiting list. Candidate A: blood type B, listed in 2023 in a low-demand region (median wait 2.8 years), with 0 prior transplants. Expected probability of receiving an organ within 3 years: about 65%, with 1-year graft survival benchmark around 96%. Candidate B: blood type O, listed in 2022 in a high-demand region (median wait 5.2 years), with 1 prior transplant and 35% PRA (panel-reactive antibody). Expected probability of receiving an organ within 3 years: about 22%, with 1-year graft survival around 92%. Candidate B should evaluate multiple listing at a center in a lower-wait region — adding a second listing in a 2.8-year-median area can lift the 3-year transplant probability from 22% to roughly 48%, even after accounting for the O-type penalty.
Decision-weighted comparison
| Decision factor | Living donor option | Deceased donor option |
|---|---|---|
| Median time to transplant | 3-6 months (donor work-up) | 3 to 7+ years |
| 1-year graft survival | 97-98% | 95-96% |
| 5-year graft survival | 88-92% | 82-87% |
| Cold ischemia exposure | 1-2 hours | 12-36 hours |
| Cost to donor | Donor-paid evaluation, recipient insurance covers surgery | No donor cost |
| Acceptable donor age range | 18-70 in most centers | Any age, medical case-by-case |
How to use PlainTransplant data for your decision
Start with the waiting list guide to understand the allocation system, then use the transplant center directory to compare programs in your region against national benchmarks. For survival-rate interpretation, read what survival rates mean — raw numbers without risk-adjustment context can be misleading. Finally, the center-selection guide walks through how volume, waitlist size, and acceptance criteria interact. Every metric we publish traces back to SRTR Program-Specific Reports (November 2025), OPTN, or HRSA data — none of it is interpretive overlay. Use the numbers as inputs to a conversation with your transplant team, not as a substitute for it.