Transplant Guide
Kidney Transplant by the Numbers
What SRTR data reveals about kidney transplant outcomes, wait times, and center performance across the US.
This guide in one line
The median reporting kidney program's 1-yr graft survival is 95.3%, across 205 programs nationally -- a tighter, data-true figure than a "95-97%" range, and the spread around it is what separates individual programs, not a single national number.
- Median 1-yr survival
- 95.3%
- Reporting programs
- 205
- Annual kidney transplants
- ~27,000
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.
Where kidney programs' 1-yr survival actually falls
205 reporting kidney programs, SRTR Program-Specific Reports (November 2025)
95.3% Top 50% higher than 50% of 205 kidney programs
the full population, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more kidney programs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
The median program (marked above) reports 95.3% 1-yr survival. Individual programs spread wider than the "95-97%" headline range suggests, some report lower survival because they accept higher-risk patients; SRTR's risk adjustment (see the survival rates guide) accounts for this.
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.
Reading this guide
- Explore living donation first if any willing donor is available -- the fastest path with the best expected outcomes.
- List early: wait time accrues from your listing date, not from when dialysis starts. Waiting list guide
- The median program's survival (95.3%) hides real spread; compare a specific center against its own expected rate. Kidney rankings
Survival statistics are population medians from past cohorts, not predictions for any individual; consult your transplant team.
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
Illustrative example, not real centers. The two programs below are invented to show how the arithmetic works; the figures are not drawn from SRTR. For real numbers, use the center directory.
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.
PlainTransplant’s data pages are rendered directly from SRTR Program-Specific Reports, no number on them is typed in by an editor. This page is written explanation rather than a data page, and any illustrative figures in it are labelled as illustrative. Written explanation of how the SRTR measures work; the center-level numbers behind it live on the data pages this guide links to. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a correction.
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. The center-level metrics we publish are rendered from SRTR Program-Specific Reports (November 2025); this guide is our written explanation of what those measures mean. Use the numbers as inputs to a conversation with your transplant team, not as a substitute for it.