One in 25 Dutch deaths is euthanasia

In 2020, 4.3% of deaths in the Netherlands were due to euthanasia.

The official Regional Euthanasia Review Committees (RTE), revealed that a total of 6,938 people asked to be euthanased (which includes both ‘termination of life on request’ and ‘assisted suicide’) and died through the medical procedure legalised two decades ago.

The figure is not only the highest since the law was passed in 2002, but also represents a sharp 9% increase since 2019.

About 5,000 of those patients had cancer and the ‘vast majority’ were elderly people.

The president of RTE said ‘the figures fit in with a larger picture. More and more people now see euthanasia as the solution to unbearable suffering’. This shift in thinking is confirmed by the statistics. Euthanasia has risen continually since 2002, the only exception being in 2018.

Slightly more men than women (52% to 48%) ask for euthanasia in the Netherlands, and, after cancer, neurological diseases and cardiovascular problems are the second and third illnesses suffered by those who begin the euthanasia procedure. Mental disorders represent just over 1% of the cases.

According to the official statistics, people aged 70–79 represent one third of the euthanasia requesters, followed by those aged 80–89 (one fourth) and 60–69 (one fifth). No minors aged 12–17 died by euthanasia in 2019.

Andrea Minichiello Williams of Christian Concern said: ‘Crossing God’s boundary by taking innocent human life is never safe. The Netherlands is one of the most obvious examples, but every jurisdiction that has passed these laws has seen more deaths, allowed for more reasons, and with fewer safeguards. Christians need to be vocal in making it clear that assisted suicide is unnecessary, dangerous and wrong – and totally contrary to God plan and purposes.’