GUANGZHOU, Dec. 22 -- China's voluntary organ donors reached 5,734 as of Dec. 16, donating a total of 15,722 organs since voluntary organ donations began in 2010, according to a medical official.

The announcement came almost a year after the country started banning the use of prisoners' organs for transplants on Jan. 1.

In 2015 alone, China recorded 2,587 voluntary organ donors, bringing it close to Brazil, the world's second largest country for organ donations, said Guo Yanghong, deputy head of the medical administration department from the National Health and Family Planning Commission .

China is likely to surpass Brazil next year in terms of organ donors, said Guo at a conference in the southern city of Guangzhou on Sunday.

Government statistics show that about 300,000 patients each year need organ transplants in China, while just over 10,000 receive the operations.

China began a voluntary organ donation trial in 2010 and organ donation nationwide in 2013. Now it tops Asia in the number of organ donations.