Voluntary Donations Now Account for More Than 85% of Global Blood Collections, WHO Reports

Voluntary, unpaid donors now account for more than 85% of blood donations worldwide, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2025 Global Status Report on Blood Safety and Availability.

The report, released ahead of World Blood Donor Day, reflects data from 168 countries and examines blood availability, transfusion safety, clinical use of blood, access to plasma-derived medicinal products and the capacity of national blood systems.

The 2025 report also found that global blood collections increased by nearly 19% between 2013 and 2023. However, WHO noted that many countries – lower-income countries in particular – continue to face challenges due to limited financing, weak infrastructure, logistical barriers and insufficient donor recruitment.

Twenty-four countries reported collecting fewer than 5 blood donations per 1,000 population, and 59 countries still rely on family replacement or paid donations for more than half of their blood supply. The proportion of voluntary donations also varies significantly by income level, accounting for 98.4% of donations in high-income countries compared with 63.4% in low-income countries.

To address these challenges, WHO called on countries and partners to strengthen governance and regulation of blood services, ensure sustainable financing, expand quality assurance programs, improve clinical transfusion practices and strengthen surveillance and data systems. The organization said these measures are “essential to ensuring universal access to safe, effective and quality-assured blood and blood products, regardless of where people live.”