DonateLife Tasmania state medical director Andrew Turner said the statistics showed people were becoming more aware of the huge difference donating organs can make.

''If you look at our historical base line, we only really have about four donations a year on average in Tasmania and over the last few years we have seen an increase,'' Associate Professor Turner said.

''The generous act of organ and tissue donation this year from 15 deceased Tasmanian donors and their families has led to 55 organs transforming the lives of 51 transplant recipients.

''The combination of community generosity and the work the hospitals are doing, it has put us twice of where the rest of Australia is at the moment.''

At the end of November, there were 330 donors nationally with 985 people becoming organ recipients - a 6 per cent increase on 2011.

Associate Professor Turner said there were many misconceptions about organ donation and encouraged Tasmanians to discuss the issue with their families.

''The big misconception most people have is they feel anyone that dies can be an organ donor, but the reality is that about one in 70 people that die can be organ donors,'' he said.

''You have to be very, very sick to acquire an organ donation, so they are not only life saving . ?. ?. people live longer and all of a sudden go from being a burden on their families to someone who can contribute and become normal again.''