Avis

Plasma collection: record levels in Italia, but the number of donors under 35 is falling (-16.9%)

Minister Schillaci launches a public service announcement: “Promoting a culture of giving to ensure the necessary generational renewal, which is currently at risk”

by Ernesto Diffidenti

11 June 2026

Close up of nurse disinfecting male arm before blood test. Man is sitting on chair near medical set Yakobchuk Olena - stock.adobe.com

5' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

The generation gap

5' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Plasma collection in Italy continues to grow, reaching a new record of 919.7 tonnes in 2025 – over 11 tonnes more than in 2024. The number of donors remains virtually unchanged (at almost 1,665,000), whilst donations stand at 2,999,800, a decrease of 1.7%. Furthermore, the number of donors in the younger age groups is falling, and the gap between men and women persists. Avis has drawn up an initial assessment to mark World Blood Donor Day, which is celebrated on Sunday 14 June.

“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all those citizens who, in 2025, chose to donate blood and plasma voluntarily, free of charge, anonymously and, above all, responsibly,” said the Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, recalling that last year “over 638,000 patients received a transfusion and thousands of other people were able to benefit from treatments made possible by plasma-derived medicines. All this is possible thanks to the generosity of donors”.

Plasma collection on the rise

According to Avis, which has a donor base of 1.3 million (around 76% of the national total), last year saw the milestone of 920 tonnes of plasma collected reached for the first time. This growth is mainly attributable to the increase in apheresis collection (+6.4%), a procedure which, thanks to a cell separator, allows only the plasma – the liquid part of the blood – to be collected, whilst returning red blood cells and platelets to the donor’s circulation. This type of donation allows more plasma to be collected than with a whole blood donation, and enables a quicker recovery as well as more frequent donations, up to once every 15 days. “In 2025, 15.6 kilograms of plasma per thousand inhabitants were thus supplied to the industry for the production of plasma-derived medicines,” the Association emphasises. This represents a further step towards the medium-term target of 18 kilograms per thousand inhabitants, identified as the first step towards achieving strategic independence in the field of plasma-derived medicines.”

Towards self-sufficiency

“It remains essential to continue on the path towards ever-greater self-sufficiency in plasma collection,” adds Schillaci, “and to keep promoting a culture of giving to ensure the necessary renewal of the donor base, which is currently at risk.” For this reason, to mark World Blood Donor Day, the Ministry is launching the public service announcement “Donating is the most beautiful act”, featuring volleyball champion and television commentator Andrea Lucchetta. “Every bag of blood collected represents one more chance of treatment,” explains the minister, “one more chance of recovery, one more chance at life, and few things are more beautiful than that.”

“World Blood Donor Day is an opportunity to reaffirm the value of voluntary donation, which forms the cornerstone of the Italian blood transfusion system,” says the national president of Avis, Oscar Bianchi. Today, it is essential to safeguard these principles, ensure the full implementation of Law 219 and protect the donors themselves, guaranteeing the ethical and transparent use of data and countering any attempt at commercial exploitation of the donation. At the same time, we must continue to invest in national plasma self-sufficiency by strengthening association-led collection, and ensure the sustainability of the system through the swift updating of the tariffs currently under review by the Ministry of Health. Defending the donation means guaranteeing the country a system based on solidarity, safety and collective responsibility.”

The generation gap

According to Avis, due to the ageing population, the number of young donors aged between 18 and 25 has fallen over the past 15 years from 227,991 in 2011 to 195,376, representing a drop of 14.3%.

The decline is even more pronounced in the 26–35 age group: the number of donors fell from 348,246 to 289,550, a drop of 16.9%.

The main barriers are certain deep-seated fears, such as a fear of needles, the sight of blood, or the fear of fainting during or after the blood donation. Data collected by Avis during numerous meetings with young people under 25 show that the information they possess is very patchy, and this often leads them to exclude themselves, in the mistaken belief that they are not eligible to donate.

More men than women donate

In our country, male donors account for 66 per cent, whilst women make up 34 per cent. “Although blood donation is viewed positively as an altruistic and generous act,” Avis points out, “it does not feature prominently in women’s daily lives. As the focal point of family life and often responsible for domestic care, children and the elderly, women frequently have to juggle a multitude of commitments and responsibilities.” In short, feeling overburdened by “duties”, they struggle to prioritise the act of donating. Added to this is a lack of support that leaves women feeling socially isolated: a situation that appears to differ from that in other European countries. Furthermore, pregnancy and breastfeeding are two periods that lead to a break in blood donation and make it difficult to resume at a later stage.

The donation campaign launches on 14 June

Meanwhile, the new awareness campaign for blood and blood component donation, “Donating is the most beautiful thing you can do”, has been launched at the Ministry of Health’s headquarters. The campaign, which features volleyball champion and current TV pundit Andrea “Lucky” Lucchetta as its ambassador, will launch on 14 June to mark World Blood Donor Day. The initiative is promoted by the Ministry in collaboration with the National Blood Centre and the main donor associations and federations – AVIS, the Italian Red Cross, FIDAS and FRATRES. The advert will be broadcast on TV, radio and social media channels.

Data from the National Blood Centre

As explained by the director of the National Blood Centre, Luciana Teofili, Italy has been self-sufficient in red blood cells for almost twenty years, thanks to its donors. As for plasma, the generosity of donors made it possible in 2025 to allocate a record 920 tonnes to the production of plasma-derived medicines. This result was made possible above all by the increased commitment of donors, associations and blood transfusion services. In 2025, the total number of donors remained largely stable (1,664,691). The slight decline (-0.8% compared to the previous year) is offset by a more marked reduction in red blood cell transfusions, which fell by 2% compared to 2024, also a sign of greater clinical appropriateness. There was a positive trend (+1.4%) for regular donors, who form the backbone of the system and now account for 85% of all donors.

Initiatives promoted by Avis

To mark World Blood Donor Day on 14 June, Avis is promoting a series of information and awareness-raising initiatives to foster a culture of giving and raise awareness of the importance of donating blood and plasma, in collaboration with Altarea and Ferrovie dello Stato, with information stands and promotional material to encourage the public to donate blood. The campaign advert “Stendere un braccio” will also be shown in stations.

Avis will also be featured on ITA Airways flights, where a message promoting blood donation will be broadcast, as well as in the lounges at Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate airports. “Numerous monuments and institutional buildings across Italia,” explains Avis, “will be lit up in red to mark the occasion, and there will be a host of initiatives, public events and conferences taking place at over 3,300 locations across Italia.”