America’s Blood Centers and ADRP, the Association for Blood Donor Professionals, announced the release of 2024 blood donation statistics in the new edition of the U.S. Blood Donation Statistics and Public Messaging Guide, capturing the changes happening across the landscape of blood donation and transfusion nationally.
The 2024 blood donation statistics guide features more than 40 verified statistics including findings from the National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey, including data on the U.S. blood supply, donor demographics, and the impact of blood transfusions on patient populations. It also highlights the COVID-19 pandemic’s significant impact on the national blood supply as well as how donations from younger generations and diverse donors are critical to the long-term stability of the U.S. blood supply.
Some statistics of note in the 2024 blood donation statistics guide that have been updated are:
- Gender Shift: In 2021, there was a notable gender shift among blood donors, with female donors making up 54.1 percent and male donors making up 45.9 percent. This marks a change from the 2019 data, where there were 51 percent male donors and 49 percent female donors.
- Minority Donors: Data shows a substantial 35.4 percent decrease in minority donors in 2021 compared to 2019, signifying the urgent need to increase the number of donors across underrepresented minority groups.
- Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic had a significant impact on blood do-nation, especially among younger donors given the cancellation of school-based drives. There was a 60.7 percent drop in donations from 16–18-year-olds and a 31.9 percent decrease in donations from 19–24-year-olds in 2021 compared to 2019.
- Changing Age Demographics: There was a 40.7 percent increase in donors aged 65 and older in 2021 compared to 2019, highlighting the need for focused recruitment efforts on younger generations.
Other widely used statistics included in the 2024 blood donation statistics guide are insights into the number of patients each donation can help, the percentage of the eligible U.S. population that donates blood annually, the frequency of blood transfusions in the U.S., and the average number of blood donations each day in the country. The 2024 blood donation statistics guide also features sample social media graphics and customizable infographics that highlight key statistics.