At least 32 people have taken up New Zealand’s euthanasia services since the country legalised the practice three months ago, according to the Ministry of Health.
The country’s End of Life Choice Act came into force in November, after years of activism by euthanasia campaigners and being ratified by referendum. Sixty-five per cent of voting-age New Zealanders voted in favour of legalising assisted dying, joining just a handful of countries that allow it.
At the time the process was legalised, New Zealand officials were uncertain how many people would take it up. In written statements, the ministry of health has said “the number of people that may seek assisted dying is expected to be small”. They noted that in comparable overseas locations where assisted dying was legal, it made up between 0.3% and 2% of all deaths. Due to New Zealand’s relatively strict criteria, they also expected almost two-thirds of applications to be turned down. “Based on overseas experiences, the ministry estimates up to 950 people could apply for assisted dying each year, with up to 350 being assisted to die,” they said.
In some countries, the number of people taking up euthanasia services started slowly and soared over time. Figures from Switzerland, for example, have shown that the numbers of people who underwent assisted suicide rose steadily year-on-year, from 187 in 2003 to 965 in 2015.
In the Netherlands, which has some of the most liberal euthanasia and assisted suicide laws, they make up 4.4% of the total number of deaths. According to the 2017 Regional Euthanasia Review Committees, there were 6,585 cases of voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide that year.
To be eligible for assisted dying services in New Zealand, patients must meet a series of strict criteria, assessed by two doctors. They must be a New Zealander, over 18 years of age, have a terminal illness likely to end their life within six months, be experiencing “unbearable suffering that cannot be relieved”, be competent to make the decision, and be experiencing advanced stages of irreversible decline in their physical ability. Health practitioners can also opt out of providing the service.
Other countries where euthanasia is legal include Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada and Colombia.
This story has been updated to reflect the most recent data from New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, as of 7 February. A previous version stated at least 28 people had taken advantage of the assisted dying laws – the lower number was due to a lag in ministry reporting.
