The Netherlands faces a shortage of organ donors. Figures from Statistics Netherlands show that of Dutch residents aged 12 and over, only one in four is a registered organ donor. In July 2020, a new law has changed the system from ‘opt-in’ to ‘opt-out’, with the aim of increasing the number of registered donors. Under the new system, everyone is in principle automatically registered as a donor unless they decline permission for their organs to be used. But what are the drivers of organ donation? This question is particularly interesting in the Netherlands, not only because of the new law, but also in light of the diversity in social capital and religious involvement which may play an important role in the decision to donate. This paper explores the impact of social capital on organ donation. It uses a unique database which contains information on organ donation for the whole Dutch population over 12, enriched by the Survey on Social Cohesion and Wellbeing covering the period 2012–2017 (N = 45,645). Results demonstrate a linear increase in registered organ donors as individual social capital, measured by a composite index based on 17 participation and trust indicators, increases. The results further show that religion has a detrimental impact on organ donation. The paper also discusses the effects of the separate social capital indicators on organ donation and their policy implications.

荷兰面临着器官捐赠者的短缺。荷兰统计局的数据显示，在12岁及12岁以上的荷兰居民中，只有四分之一的人是注册器官捐赠者。2020年7月，一项新法律将系统从“选择加入”更改为“选择退出”，目的是增加注册捐助者的数量。在新系统下，原则上每个人都将自动注册为捐赠者，除非他们拒绝允许使用器官。但是器官捐赠的驱动力是什么？这个问题在荷兰特别有趣，这不仅是因为有新法律，而且由于社会资本和宗教参与的多样性，这可能在捐赠决定中起重要作用。本文探讨了社会资本对器官捐赠的影响。它使用一个独特的数据库，其中包含有关整个12岁以上荷兰人口器官捐赠的信息，并通过涵盖2012-2017年的社会凝聚力和福祉调查得到了丰富（N = 45,645）。结果表明，通过基于17个参与和信任指标的综合指数来衡量，注册的器官捐赠者作为个人的社会资本呈线性增长。结果进一步表明，宗教信仰对器官捐赠有不利影响。本文还讨论了单独的社会资本指标对器官捐赠的影响及其政策含义。由基于17个参与和信任指标的综合指数所衡量的增长。结果进一步表明，宗教信仰对器官捐赠有不利影响。本文还讨论了单独的社会资本指标对器官捐赠的影响及其政策含义。由基于17个参与和信任指标的综合指数所衡量的增长。结果进一步表明，宗教信仰对器官捐赠有不利影响。本文还讨论了单独的社会资本指标对器官捐赠的影响及其政策含义。