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US Kidney Statistics

Kidney Disease Statistics in Georgia, USA

Kidney disease is one of Georgia’s most significant—and most underrecognized—public health burdens. An estimated 1.2 million Georgia adults are living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet fewer than 150,000 are aware of their condition. With a CKD adult prevalence of 4.8%, Georgia ranks 43rd nationally, meaning the state performs worse than most others in detecting and managing this condition. Left undetected and untreated, CKD progresses silently toward kidney failure—also known as end-stage renal disease (ESRD)—which requires lifelong dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.

As of 2024, approximately 29,811 Georgians are living with kidney failure, a number that has more than doubled since 2002 and grown by 37% since 2011 alone. Diabetes and high blood pressure, which together affect nearly half of Georgia’s adult population, are responsible for approximately 73–76% of all ESRD cases in the state. Each year more than 5,000 new cases of kidney failure are diagnosed, and fewer than 3% of those newly diagnosed patients receive a kidney transplant at or near diagnosis—the vast majority begin immediate and permanent dialysis dependence.

This report presents a comprehensive statistical overview of kidney disease in Georgia, covering chronic kidney disease prevalence and stages, ESRD trends and causes, kidney disease mortality, treatment access and outcomes, racial and economic disparities, kidney cancer incidence, and the geographic distribution of the burden across Georgia’s counties.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Statewide Prevalence and Awareness

Georgia CKD adult prevalence: 4.8%
National rank for CKD prevalence: 43rd (worse than most U.S. states)
National ranking (America’s Health Rankings): 38th out of 50 states for CKD-affected population
Estimated Georgia adults with CKD: approximately 1.2 million
Georgia adults aware they have CKD: approximately 147,000–150,000

Roughly 1 in 8 Georgians estimated to have CKD are actually aware of their condition. Georgia’s 43rd-place national ranking means the state performs worse than the majority of U.S. states in CKD prevalence. The enormous gap between true prevalence and awareness means that most of the 1.2 million affected Georgians are not receiving care to slow disease progression and prevent kidney failure.

Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease in Georgia (2000)

CKD is classified into five stages based on glomerular filtration rate (GFR)—a measure of how effectively the kidneys filter waste from the blood. Lower GFR values indicate more severe disease. Stage 5 represents kidney failure, at which point survival requires dialysis or a transplant. The following estimates are based on the year 2000 Georgia population using the National Kidney Foundation’s clinical guidelines.

Stage	GFR (mL/min/1.73m²)	Description	Estimated Cases (Georgia, 2000)
1	≥90	Kidney damage with normal or elevated GFR	270,000
2	60–89	Kidney damage with mild decrease in GFR	246,000
3	30–59	Moderate decrease in GFR	352,000
4	15–29	Severe decrease in GFR	16,000
5 / ESRD	<15 or on dialysis	Kidney failure	14,000
Total (Stages 1–4)	CKD before kidney failure	~884,000

Note: “Kidney damage” is defined as the presence of pathologic abnormalities or markers of damage, including abnormalities in blood or urine tests or imaging studies.

In 2000, Georgia had an estimated 884,000 people living with pre-ESRD CKD, plus 14,000 already at kidney failure—approximately 898,000 total. Stage 3 (moderate CKD) was the largest single group at 352,000 Georgians.

Key Risk Factors

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two most important causes of kidney failure in Georgia. The following figures reflect the current prevalence of these risk factors among Georgia adults.

Diagnosed with diabetes: 12% of Georgia adults
Have high blood pressure: 34.8% of Georgia adults
Self-reported obesity: 33.1% of Georgia adults

With more than one-third of Georgia adults living with high blood pressure and 12% diagnosed with diabetes, the state maintains a large and persistent pipeline of patients at risk of progressing to kidney failure. For many people, maintaining a normal body weight and staying physically active can prevent or delay both conditions.

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD / Kidney Failure)

End-stage renal disease is the final, permanent stage of CKD, at which the kidneys can no longer function on their own. Without dialysis or a kidney transplant, ESRD is fatal.

Current ESRD Population (2024)

Total Georgians living with kidney failure: 29,811
On dialysis: 22,415
Living with a functioning kidney transplant: 7,396
Growth in total ESRD patients since 2011: +37%

As of 2024, nearly 30,000 Georgians are living with kidney failure—more than three-quarters dependent on dialysis. The 37% increase since 2011 reflects the combined effects of population aging and the compounding burden of uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension. Only about 1 in 4 kidney failure patients lives with a transplant, pointing to persistent gaps in transplant access.

Historical Growth of the ESRD Population

Georgia’s ESRD burden has grown substantially over the decades, in both absolute numbers and relative to the population. The number of Georgians living with ESRD is growing faster than the incidence rate because more people acquire the disease each year than die from it.

Estimated Georgians with ESRD (2000): approximately 14,000
Georgians with ESRD (2002): approximately 14,600
Georgians living with ESRD (2021): 28,851 (22,633 on dialysis; 6,218 with transplants)
Georgians living with ESRD (2022): 29,868 (23,215 on dialysis; 6,653 with transplants)
Georgians living with ESRD (2024): 29,811 (22,415 on dialysis; 7,396 with transplants)
Growth since 2009 (as measured in 2022): +53.2%
Growth since 2011 (as measured in 2024): +37%
Georgia age-adjusted ESRD incidence rate (2002): 44 per 100,000
U.S. ESRD incidence rate (2002): 35 per 100,000
Average annual increase in ESRD incidence (since 1980): more than 6% per year, Georgia and U.S.

Georgia’s ESRD population has roughly doubled since 2002. The state’s incidence rate has exceeded the national average consistently since 1980, and the gap has grown wider over time.

New ESRD Cases Per Year

Each year, thousands of Georgians are newly diagnosed with kidney failure. The overwhelming majority begin dialysis rather than receiving a transplant at or near the time of diagnosis.

Year	New Cases	Began Dialysis	Received Transplant
2002	3,302	—	—
2018	4,799	4,716 (98.3%)	83 (1.7%)
2019	4,999	4,899 (98.0%)	100 (2.0%)
2021	5,073	4,962 (97.8%)	111 (2.2%)

New ESRD diagnoses grew from 3,302 in 2002 to more than 5,000 by 2021. Across all recent years, fewer than 2.5% of newly diagnosed patients receive a kidney transplant—the remainder begin lifelong dialysis dependence.

Leading Causes of ESRD

Diabetes and high blood pressure together account for more than 70% of all kidney failure cases in Georgia.

Cause	Share (2024)	Share (2022)	Share (2002)
Diabetes	44%	47%	43%
High blood pressure	29%	28%	33%
Other causes	27%	25%	24%
Diabetes + hypertension combined	73%	75%	76%

Analysis: Diabetes and high blood pressure together have caused roughly three-quarters of all kidney failure in Georgia across every time period measured. Preventing and controlling these two diseases through lifestyle changes and medication adherence remains the most direct lever for reducing ESRD incidence.

ESRD Incidence Rates by Race and Sex (2002)

The following table shows age-adjusted ESRD incidence rates by race and sex in Georgia in 2002.

Group	ESRD Incidence Rate (per 100,000)
Black male	121.6
Black female	97.6
White male	31.3
White female	20.5
All males	51.0
All females	38.9
All Black	107.9
All White	24.8

Black women in Georgia face nearly five times the ESRD incidence rate of White women—the most extreme racial-sex disparity in the table. These differences reflect the intersection of biological risk factors, limited early detection opportunities, and socioeconomic barriers to preventive care.

Historical County-Level ESRD Data (2002)

North Georgia counties were more likely to have lower ESRD prevalence compared to the state average
Southwest and mid-eastern Georgia counties had significantly higher ESRD prevalence than the state average

County-level range of ESRD and kidney disease metrics (2002):

Measure	Lowest County	Rate	Highest County	Rate
ESRD prevalence (per 100,000)	Oconee	62	Terrell	569
ESRD incidence (per 100,000)	White	18	Dooly	112
Kidney disease death rate (per 100,000)	Madison	8.4	Hancock	50

Even in 2002, the county-level ESRD disparities in Georgia were extreme: Terrell County’s ESRD prevalence (569 per 100,000) was more than nine times that of Oconee County (62). Dooly County’s ESRD incidence (112) was more than six times that of White County (18). These geographic inequities have persisted over two decades, reflecting entrenched structural factors—poverty, limited healthcare access, and high concentrations of diabetes and hypertension—that continue to drive disproportionate ESRD burden in rural southern Georgia.

Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer

Statewide Incidence and Trends

Kidney and renal pelvis cancer represents a distinct but related dimension of kidney health in Georgia. The state’s incidence rate exceeds the national average, and unlike the national trend, Georgia’s rate is rising.

Age-adjusted incidence rate (2018–2022): 18.1 per 100,000 (Georgia) vs. 17.5 per 100,000 (U.S.)
Average annual new cases: 2,209
Recent 5-year incidence trend: Rising at +1.9%/year in Georgia vs. Falling at −1.0%/year nationally

Cancer Incidence by County (2018–2022)

County	Rate (per 100,000)
Oglethorpe	35.9
Evans	29.6
Sumter	29.1
Meriwether	27.8
Appling	27.3
Elbert	26.8
Seminole	25.0
Walker	24.9
Haralson	24.9
Dade	24.8

Georgia’s kidney cancer incidence (18.1) exceeds the national rate (17.5), and the divergence is widening: Georgia’s rate is rising at 1.9% per year while the U.S. rate is falling at 1.0% per year. This growing divergence makes kidney cancer an area of increasing public health concern requiring greater attention to early detection and risk factor management.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer

Kidney and renal pelvis cancer is among the more common cancers Georgians will face over a lifetime.

Male lifetime risk: 2.2% — ranked 6th most likely cancer to develop
Female lifetime risk: 1.3% — ranked 9th most likely cancer to develop

Kidney cancer is the 6th most likely cancer for Georgia men—affecting more than 1 in 45 men over a lifetime—and the 9th for women. Given the rising incidence trend, these lifetime risk figures may increase further in coming years.

Treatment: Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation

Dialysis

Share of ESRD treatment funded by Medicare: over 80% of all dialysis treatments in Georgia
Medigap availability: Georgia offers Medigap insurance to dialysis patients under 65

Medicare and Medigap together form the primary insurance framework for Georgia’s dialysis patients.

Kidney Transplantation

Waiting List and Procedures

2020:

Georgians on the kidney transplant waiting list: 4,072
Kidney transplants performed: 678
Share of waitlisted patients receiving a transplant: approximately 1 in 6

2021:

Georgians on the kidney transplant waiting list: 3,473
Kidney transplants performed: 861 (living donors: 176; deceased donors: 685)
Share of waitlisted patients receiving a transplant: approximately 1 in 4
Change vs. approximately 10 years prior: +77.9% total transplants vs. 2011; +4.1% in living donors vs. 2011

2023:

Georgians on the kidney transplant waiting list: 2,559
Kidney transplants performed: 837 (living donors: 170; deceased donors: 667)
Share of waitlisted patients receiving a transplant: approximately 1 in 3
Change vs. approximately 10 years prior: +77% total transplants vs. 2013; +4% in living donors vs. 2013

Total transplant volumes have grown impressively—roughly 77–78% compared to approximately a decade prior. The fraction of waitlisted patients receiving a transplant improved from about 1 in 6 in 2020 to approximately 1 in 3 in 2023, partly reflecting both more transplants and a shorter waiting list. Living donor transplants have grown only modestly (+4%), suggesting that volume growth is driven almost entirely by deceased donor supply. Hundreds of Georgians still await a transplant each year without receiving one.

Organ Donation and Waste

A significant share of donated kidneys and other organs in Georgia never reach waiting patients, representing a major missed opportunity to save lives.

Share of recovered organs in Georgia discarded (2024): 17%
Share of recovered kidneys in Georgia that never reached patients (2024): 25%
Average daily U.S. deaths while waiting for a transplant: 13 people
New additions to U.S. national transplant waiting list: one person every 8 minutes

One in four recovered kidneys in Georgia is discarded before being transplanted. This waste rate directly contributes to preventable deaths among thousands of patients on the waiting list. Reducing the organ discard rate is a high-leverage intervention that could increase the effective supply of kidneys without requiring any increase in the donor pool.

Transplant Center Outcomes

Adult Programs

Georgia has three adult kidney transplant centers. The table below shows one-year and three-year graft and patient survival rates for living donor (LD) and deceased donor (DD) transplants.

Center	NKR Txp. (12 mo.)	LD 1-yr Graft	LD 3-yr Graft	LD 1-yr Patient	LD 3-yr Patient	DD 1-yr Graft	DD 3-yr Graft	DD 1-yr Patient	DD 3-yr Patient
Piedmont Atlanta Hospital	50	98%	99%	99%	99%	97%	89%	99%	93%
Emory University Hospital	47	98%	92%	98%	96%	94%	86%	97%	91%
Augusta University Medical Center	0	75%	100%	100%	100%	90%	82%	97%	83%

LD = Living Donor | DD = Deceased Donor | NKR = National Kidney Registry

Program Features and Transplant Activity:

Feature	Piedmont Atlanta	Emory University	Augusta University
Living donor transplants (prior year)	81	197	1
NKR living donor transplants (prior year)	51	44	0
NKR % of living donor transplants	63%	23%	0%
Low eplet transplants (last 12 months)	25	14	0
NKR Member Center	Yes	Yes	No
Equal Access Commitment Center	Yes	Yes	Yes
Voucher Program	Yes	Yes	No
Kidney for Life Participant	Yes	No	No
Patient Microsites	Yes	No	No
Microsite Center of Excellence	Yes	No	No
Donor Shield Through NKR	Yes	Yes	No
Remote Donation	Yes	Yes	No

Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and Emory University Hospital are Georgia’s two highly active transplant centers, with 50 and 47 NKR transplants respectively in the past 12 months. Emory performs the most living donor transplants in the state (197 in the prior year), while Piedmont Atlanta achieves the highest NKR utilization rate (63% of living donor transplants).

Pediatric Program

One Georgia center performs pediatric kidney transplants, with results at or near benchmark levels across all measured metrics.

Center: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
NKR Transplants (last 12 months): 0
Living Donor Transplants (prior year): 10
Living Donor 1-year Graft Survival: 96%
Living Donor 3-year Graft Survival: 91%
Living Donor 1-year Patient Survival: 95%
Living Donor 3-year Patient Survival: 95%
Deceased Donor 1-year Graft Survival: 100%
Deceased Donor 3-year Graft Survival: 100%
Deceased Donor 1-year Patient Survival: 100%
Deceased Donor 3-year Patient Survival: 100%

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta reports excellent pediatric transplant outcomes, achieving 100% deceased donor graft and patient survival at both one and three years—a benchmark result. Living donor outcomes are also strong at 95–96% patient survival at one year. The center performed 10 living donor transplants in the prior year.

Kidney Disease Mortality

Current Death Rate (2019–2023)

Georgia age-adjusted kidney disease death rate (2019–2023): 19.3 per 100,000
U.S. age-adjusted kidney disease death rate (2019–2023): 13.4 per 100,000
Georgia rate vs. U.S. rate: approximately 44% higher

Kidney Disease Death Rates by County (2019–2023)

County	Death Rate (per 100,000)
Miller	42.3
Toombs	38.2
Berrien	37.1
Johnson	37.0
Wayne	36.8
Hancock	36.1
Spalding	35.9
Peach	35.4
Turner	35.3
Taylor	35.2

At 19.3 deaths per 100,000, Georgia’s kidney disease mortality rate far exceeds the national benchmark of 13.4—a gap of nearly 44%. This disparity has persisted for decades and reflects the state’s higher prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, a large underdiagnosed CKD population, and disparities in access to preventive and specialist care, particularly in rural and southern Georgia.

Historical Mortality (2003)

Two decades ago, kidney disease mortality in Georgia was even more elevated relative to the national average, and the disease ranked among the top ten causes of death statewide.

Overall Death Rate and Context

Rank among leading causes of death in Georgia (2003): 9th
Total deaths from kidney disease (2003): 1,475 (approximately 4 per day)
Age-adjusted death rate, Georgia (2003): 21.7 per 100,000
Age-adjusted death rate, Georgia (1999–2003 average): 20.3 per 100,000
Age-adjusted death rate, U.S. (2003): 14.6 per 100,000
Georgia rate vs. U.S. rate (2003): approximately 49% higher
Sex difference: Males were 1.3× more likely to die from kidney disease than females

In 2003, kidney disease killed approximately four Georgians every day—more than conditions commonly perceived as major threats, including septicemia, suicide, and hypertension.

Leading Causes of Death in Georgia (2003)

Kidney disease ranked 9th among all causes of death in Georgia in 2003.

Rank	Cause	Deaths
1	Heart disease	17,180
2	Cancer	13,997
3	Stroke	4,285
4	Unintentional injuries	3,466
5	Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease (CLRD)	3,241
6	Diabetes	1,720
7	Influenza & pneumonia	1,679
8	Alzheimer’s disease	1,632
9	Kidney disease	1,475
10	Septicemia	1,343
11	Suicide	961
12	Hypertension	894

Kidney disease killed more Georgians in 2003 than septicemia, suicide, and hypertension combined. Three of the top twelve killers—diabetes (6th), kidney disease (9th), and hypertension (12th)—are tightly linked: diabetes and hypertension are the two leading causes of kidney failure, and all three appear as standalone causes of death.

Age-Specific Death Rates (1999–2003)

Under 55: 2.2 per 100,000
55 to 64: 21.5 per 100,000
65 to 74: 61.7 per 100,000
75 to 84: 152.1 per 100,000
85 and above: 378.0 per 100,000

Kidney disease death rates increase more than 170-fold from the youngest age group (under 55: 2.2 per 100,000) to the oldest (85 and above: 378.0). The sharp jump between the under-55 and 55–64 groups—from 2.2 to 21.5—underscores that effective intervention in early and middle adulthood is critical before mortality risk escalates exponentially at older ages.

Kidney Disease Mortality by Race and Sex (1999–2003)

Black Georgians die from kidney disease at dramatically higher rates than White Georgians, and are far more likely to die from it prematurely—before the age of 65.

Death Rates by Race and Sex

Group	Death Rate (per 100,000)
Black male	44.5
Black female	37.8
White male	19.4
White female	13.0
All males	24.0
All females	18.4
All Black	40.2
All White	15.3

The racial mortality gap in kidney disease is one of the largest of any chronic condition in Georgia. Black women face the starkest relative disadvantage, dying from kidney disease at nearly three times the rate of White women.

Premature Deaths by Race and Sex (2003)

Group	Share of Deaths Occurring Before Age 65
Black male	37.6%
Black female	24.2%
White male	22.0%
White female	14.2%

More than one in three Black male kidney disease deaths in Georgia occurred before age 65—nearly double the proportion seen in White females (14.2%). Premature deaths represent years of life lost at the peak of productive adulthood, with compounding economic and family consequences beyond the health toll itself.

Financial Impact of Kidney Disease

Patient Costs vs. Income

The financial burden of dialysis falls most heavily on the lowest-income patients.

Average annual income of AKF-assisted patients: less than $25,000
Average annual out-of-pocket costs for dialysis patients: more than $10,000
Out-of-pocket costs as a share of income: more than 40%
Average annual Medicare cost per dialysis patient (2002): approximately $62,000
Estimated total ESRD health care cost in Georgia (2002): approximately $905 million

Dialysis patients earning under $25,000 per year face out-of-pocket costs exceeding $10,000 annually—more than 40 cents on every dollar earned. The full societal cost is far higher: Medicare spent approximately $62,000 per dialysis patient per year as early as 2002, and Georgia’s total ESRD health care bill was estimated at $905 million that year. With the ESRD population having doubled since 2002, today’s costs are substantially greater.

American Kidney Fund (AKF) Charitable Assistance in Georgia

The AKF provides grants to low-income dialysis and transplant patients to help cover insurance premiums and other health care costs not covered by insurance.

Annual Grant Recipients and Totals

2020: 6,591 grant recipients — $17,900,000 in total assistance
2021: 4,782 grant recipients — $16,573,506 in total assistance
2023: 3,916 grant recipients — $12,351,256 in total assistance

AKF assistance in Georgia peaked in 2020—likely reflecting pandemic-related emergency grants—and declined to 3,916 recipients in 2023. Even at the 2023 level, the program disbursed more than $12 million in a single year to help Georgia patients afford life-saving care. The declining recipient count may reflect changes in program parameters or shifts in insurance coverage rather than a reduction in underlying patient need.

Insurance Breakdown of AKF-Assisted Patients (2021)

Insurance Type	Share
Medicare Part B	36.8%
Medigap	31.1%
Employer group health plans (incl. COBRA)	18.9%
Commercial plans	10.5%
Exchange	3.4%
Annuity	1.5%
Medicare Advantage	1.2%
Medicaid (in states that charge premiums)	0.1%

Insurance Breakdown of AKF-Assisted Patients (2023)

Insurance Type	Share
Medicare Part B	44.6%
Medigap	23.4%
Employer group health plans (incl. COBRA)	17.2%
Medicare Advantage	1.4%

The insurance breakdown of AKF-assisted patients shows a shift between 2021 and 2023, with Medicare Part B rising from 36.8% to 44.6% while Medigap fell from 31.1% to 23.4%. The presence of employer group health plans (17–19%) reflects that a share of patients were working at the time they began requiring assistance.

Racial and Ethnic Composition of AKF-Assisted Patients (2020)

More than 60% of AKF-assisted patients in Georgia are minorities

Race / Ethnicity	Share of AKF-Assisted Patients
Black	34.7%
Hispanic / Latino	20.9%
Native American / Asian / Pacific Islander	5.2%

Black patients alone represent more than one-third of all AKF-assisted patients, consistent with their dramatically elevated ESRD incidence rates. Hispanic/Latino patients account for another 20.9%, reflecting their above-average kidney failure risk combined with greater financial vulnerability.

Conclusion

Kidney disease in Georgia is a long-standing and intensifying public health emergency. With approximately 1.2 million adults estimated to have CKD and fewer than 1 in 8 aware of their condition, the state faces a largely silent epidemic that continues to produce preventable kidney failure, dialysis dependency, and premature death. The near doubling of the ESRD population since 2002, a kidney disease death rate running 44% above the national average, and kidney cancer incidence rising against an improving national trend all confirm that Georgia’s kidney disease burden has been building for decades without an adequate public health response.

Disparities define every dimension of this crisis. Black Georgians are more than four times as likely as White Georgians to develop kidney failure, and more than one in three Black males who dies from kidney disease does so before the age of 65. Patients who develop ESRD typically lose the ability to work while facing annual out-of-pocket costs exceeding $10,000 against incomes under $25,000. Rural southern and central Georgia counties carry death rates two to three times the national average while holding the fewest healthcare resources—a geographic divide that maps directly onto broader inequities in socioeconomic opportunity and access to care.

There are meaningful signs that progress is possible. Kidney transplant volumes in Georgia grew by approximately 77–78% over the past decade, and falling mortality trends in Fulton, Henry, Lowndes, Cobb, Cherokee, Columbia, and Hall counties demonstrate that coordinated care and early intervention can reduce deaths even in historically high-burden areas. Expanding CKD screening among high-risk populations, targeting the seven Priority 1 counties facing rising mortality, reducing Georgia’s 25% kidney discard rate, and investing in minority and rural communities represent the clearest pathways to reducing the state’s disproportionate kidney disease burden.