Poll: 40% of Bulgarians would donate organs after their death

Organ donation is approved by 62% of Bulgarians, 18% disapprove and 20% cannot decide. These are the results of a nationally representative survey conducted by Trend Agency on behalf of the Executive Agency for Medical Supervision between 16 and 22 October 2024 among 1002 respondents.

When asked if they would agree to donate their own organs after death, 40% of respondents said yes, 34% would not give their consent and 26% could not decide. Eight out of ten people have not discussed the possibility of donation with their next of kin. When asked if they would donate their organs to a close friend or family member in a life-saving emergency, 55% of respondents said they would, 19% would not and 26% could not decide.

Reasons for not donating organs after death include believing they would not be a good match (42%), fearing doctors would not do all they could to save their life (38%), not trusting a medical diagnosis because they thought it might be wrong (68%), not trusting doctors (60%) and suspecting doctors might be involved in the donation process (51%).