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Blood facts and figures

Find out more on blood use and needs in Singapore.

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 2022, we collected 117,967 whole blood and 9,100 apheresis donations. View the Big Blood Picture 2022

Click here for the common misconceptions on blood donation.

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.


  • 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

Blood needs

In 2023, 14 units of blood are 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 9 days stockpile of blood supply to ensure sufficient blood supply during times of emergency.

Blood donors

In 2022, we had 74,154 donors. This was only 1.82% of the residential population.

24% were 1st time donors; 40% were regular donors and 17% were youth (25 years of age and below) donors.

  • The highest number of donations by a single person stands at 334
  • 20 donors have made their 200th donation
  • 84 donors have made their 100th donation

Collection by blood type

In 2022, we received the following % of blood types:


Blood type Percentage (%)
No. of AB+ donors (% of total donors) 5.7%
No. of AB- donors (% of total donors) 0.1%
No. of B+ donors (% of total donors) 24.2%
No. of B- donors (% of total donors) 0.3%
No. of A+ donors (% of total donors) 25.6%
No. of A- donors (% of total donors) 0.3%
No. of O+ donors (% of total donors) 43.2%
No. of O- donors (% of total donors) 0.6%
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