Euthanasia on the rise: New Zealand reports nearly 40% increase in one year

Illustrative picture "Euthanasia". Photo: Getty Images

On July 31, 2025, the organization Right to Life UK published a report based on data from the New Zealand Ministry of Health, according to which the number of cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide in the country increased by 37% in one year, reaching 472 deaths.

Pro-life activists called this trend alarming and noted that New Zealand is following the pattern of other countries where, after the legalization of this practice, there is a sharp annual increase in the number of such deaths.

The report notes that from April 2024 to March 2025, the share of such deaths accounted for 1.25% of all deaths in the country. Among the reasons for seeking euthanasia or assisted suicide were disability (12%), neurological diseases (about 10%), as well as severe and irreversible health deterioration. At the same time, one in five applicants did not receive palliative care, and only 19 people underwent psychiatric evaluation.

There was also a decrease in the number of doctors willing to participate in assisted death: from 148 specialists in 2023 to 126 in 2025.

It should be noted that euthanasia and assisted suicide have been legalized in New Zealand since November 2021 under the End of Life Choice Act. The right to such a procedure is granted to adult citizens and permanent residents of the country with a terminal illness expected to lead to their death within six months, who are in a state of irreversible health deterioration and experiencing unbearable suffering.

Previously, the UOJ reported that a cardinal of the RCC called euthanasia barbaric.

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