The study projects a dramatic increase in organ requirements by 2040.

India faces a severe organ transplant deficit, meeting only a tiny fraction of its annual demand despite ranking among the world top three organ transplanting nations. According to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, the country met just 0.2 percent of heart, 1.2 percent of lung, and 1.5 percent of liver transplant requirements in 2021.

Researchers from the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences and Fortis Vasant Kunj found that kidney transplant availability was also severely constrained, fulfilling merely 7.2 percent of total national demand during the same period.

The study projects a dramatic increase in organ requirements by 2040, estimating annual needs at 1,43,722 kidneys, 2,10,649 livers, 95,711 hearts, and 12,846 lungs across the country.

Even under moderate improvement scenarios, researchers predict that by 2040, India will meet only 32.6 percent of its kidney demand, while fulfillment rates for liver, heart, and lung transplants will remain below seven percent.

The report also highlights extreme regional disparities in access to care. Five states and regions, Tamil Nadu, Delhi NCR, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Telangana, represent roughly 29 percent of India population but accounted for 80 to 96 percent of all transplants performed in 2024.