Blood type chart
Who can give blood to whom, for all eight ABO and Rh types. Switch between red cells and plasma, and tap any type to trace it.
| Donor ↓Recipient → | Gives to | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | · | ✓ | · | ✓ | · | ✓ | · | 4 | |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 8 | |
| · | · | ✓ | · | · | · | ✓ | · | 2 | |
| · | · | ✓ | ✓ | · | · | ✓ | ✓ | 4 | |
| · | · | · | · | ✓ | · | ✓ | · | 2 | |
| · | · | · | · | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 4 | |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | ✓ | · | 1 | |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | ✓ | ✓ | 2 | |
| Gets from | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
Red cells: ABO and Rh both matter. O negative gives to all eight; AB positive receives from all eight. % = share of the US population.
Blood type compatibility at a glance
| Type | US share | Red cells: can give to | Red cells: can receive from | Plasma: can give to | Plasma: can receive from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O+ | 37.4% | O+, A+, B+, AB+ | O+, O- | O+, O- | O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB- |
| O- | 6.6% | O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB- | O- | O+, O- | O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB- |
| A+ | 35.7% | A+, AB+ | O+, O-, A+, A- | O+, O-, A+, A- | A+, A-, AB+, AB- |
| A- | 6.3% | A+, A-, AB+, AB- | O-, A- | O+, O-, A+, A- | A+, A-, AB+, AB- |
| B+ | 8.5% | B+, AB+ | O+, O-, B+, B- | O+, O-, B+, B- | B+, B-, AB+, AB- |
| B- | 1.5% | B+, B-, AB+, AB- | O-, B- | O+, O-, B+, B- | B+, B-, AB+, AB- |
| AB+ | 3.4% | AB+ | O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB- | O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB- | AB+, AB- |
| AB- | 0.6% | AB+, AB- | O-, A-, B-, AB- | O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB- | AB+, AB- |
Frequencies: American Red Cross / Stanford Blood Center, US population averages. Platelets follow looser rules and are not shown.
Why some blood types can’t mix
Your red cells are coated with markers called antigens. Type A cells carry A antigen, type B carry B, AB carry both and O carry neither. Your plasma, meanwhile, holds antibodies against whichever ABO antigens you lack, from infancy onward.
If donor cells carry an antigen the recipient has antibodies against, those antibodies latch on, the cells clump (agglutinate) and are destroyed. That is an acute haemolytic transfusion reaction and it can be fatal, which is why ABO matching is the first rule of transfusion.
The Rh factor is the D antigen. Rh-negative people don’t carry anti-D naturally, but they can make it after exposure through a transfusion or pregnancy. After that, Rh-positive blood becomes dangerous for them. More on that in the Rh factor guide.
Try it yourself: pick a donor and a recipient and watch which antibodies find a target.
How to read the chart in real life
- Emergencies: trauma teams start with O negative red cells (and often O positive for men and older women) plus AB or low-titre group A plasma until the patient’s type is known. See universal donor and recipient.
- Planned transfusions: patients get their own ABO and Rh type whenever possible, after a cross-match.
- Donating: your type decides what the blood service asks for. O negative donors are often asked for whole blood or double red cells; AB donors are often asked for plasma.
- Rarity: check how common each type is in the blood type rarity chart.
Frequently asked questions
Which blood type can donate to all others?
O negative red cells can be given to patients of any ABO and Rh type, which is why O negative is called the universal red cell donor and is kept for emergencies when there is no time to test.
Which blood type can receive from all others?
AB positive patients can receive red cells from all eight types, because they have no anti-A or anti-B antibodies and already carry the Rh D antigen.
Is the plasma compatibility chart different?
Yes, it is reversed. Plasma carries antibodies rather than antigens, so AB plasma (no anti-A, no anti-B) can go to anyone and type O patients can receive plasma from any ABO group.
Can an Rh-positive person receive Rh-negative blood?
Yes. Rh-negative red cells lack the D antigen, so they are safe for Rh-positive patients. The reverse is avoided because an Rh-negative person can form anti-D antibodies.
Do hospitals rely on this chart alone?
No. Before a planned transfusion the blood bank types the patient, screens for unexpected antibodies and cross-matches the donor unit. The chart shows ABO and Rh rules only; there are more than 40 other blood group systems.