Blood donation
Blood donation is a safe process. The average adult has 4 to 5 litres of blood. During a donation, only 350 to 450 ml of blood is drawn. About 8% to 12% of your blood volume (depending on your weight) will be taken during blood donation. The fluid (plasma) portion of your donated blood will be replaced in a few days.
Whole blood donations collect the blood with all its components, while apheresis donations collect specific blood components such as plasma or platelets.
In 2019, we collected 116,789 whole blood and 7,809 apheresis donations. View the Big Blood Picture 2019. 2281 KB
Blood components
Blood is made up of:
| 55% |
45% |
Plasma: the liquid portion of blood, containing mostly water, electrolytes, nutrients, and proteins such as antibodies and clotting factors.
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- Red blood cells: helps carry oxygen and carbon dioxide to organs and tissue
- Platelets: helps blood clot
- White blood cells: helps the body fight infections
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Blood needs
In 2020, 14 units of blood is required every hour in Singapore. That is 325 units every day or 118,750 units in the year.
What blood is used for
| Usage |
Percentage (%) |
| General Surgery |
54 |
| General medicine |
31 |
| Haematology (blood diseases) |
9 |
| Accidents and emergencies |
6 |
HSA keeps 6 days stockpile of blood supply to ensure sufficient blood supply during times of emergency.
Blood donors
In 2019 we had 75,655 donors. This is only 1.87% of the residential population.
23% are 1st time donors; 37% are regular donors and 24% are youth (25 years of age and below) donors.
- The highest number of donations by a single person stands at 307
- 16 donors have made their 200th donation
- 74 donors have made their 100th donation
Collection by blood type
In 2019, we received the following % of blood types: