The majority of Dutch adults are willing to donate their organs

By James Shaw

According to Statistics Netherlands, 53 percent of Dutch adults would consent to having their organs donated after death, and only 5 percent would not want to receive a donated organ if in need of a transplant.

There are strong religious and age differences in the findings.

Amongst those who are not religious, the proportion of those positive towards having their organs donated is higher (61 percent), while only 27 percent of Muslims would consent. In other religions, consent for organ donation is also lower than the average (around 50 percent).

In those who would wish to receive a donated organ if in need of a transplant, the difference between the religious and the non-religious population narrows significantly.

By age, there are large variations between the generations on their willingness to accept a donated organ.

The young are much more willing to accept donated organs (70 percent doing so happily), while the over 75's are reluctant to agree to receive such a "gift," with 60 percent having reservations.

Whether to donate organs after death, or your willingness to receive (or even consent to) a donated organ, is a highly personal choice, often determined by your life experiences and values.

However it is clear that religion and age plays an important role in the decision-making of individuals.

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James Shaw
James is an assistant editor at IamExpat, and is the newest member of the team. Interests include travelling, parties, and his beloved Manchester United. From Manchester, UK, but now living in central Amsterdam.Read more

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