New Zealand appears to be following the same trend as other countries that have introduced euthanasia and assisted suicide legislation in recent years. “The experience of New Zealand should serve as a portent of what we can likely expect in England and Wales should Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill pass the Lords,” said Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life UK. Altogether, the data show 472 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide in New Zealand from April 1, 2024, through March 30 of this year. This is a 37.21% increase from the same period the previous year, when there were 344 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide in the country. It equals 1.25% of all deaths in New Zealand. According to Right To Life UK, reasons cited by the now-deceased applicants for seeking euthanasia or assisted suicide included having disabilities (12%), even though one in five were not receiving palliative care. Only 19 applicants underwent a psychiatric assessment to determine their competence to make an informed decision.
Meanwhile, one in 10 applicants cited a neurological condition. Right To Life UK described this as a “relatively small proportion” compared with the argument often made by pro-euthanasia supporters, noting “the need for people with neurological conditions to access assisted suicide or euthanasia regularly being referred to by campaigners as a key reason for introducing assisted suicide and euthanasia.” The report also revealed a decline in the number of doctors willing to be involved in assisted suicide and euthanasia. The number of practitioners on the Support and Consultation for End-of-Life Choice (SCENZ) Group list, which connects patients with doctors willing to assess or carry out assisted deaths, fell from 148 in March 2023 to 126 in March 2025. An ethnic disparity was also evident. New Zealand European/Pākehā applicants made up 79.92% of applications, despite comprising 67.8% of the population.
Māori accounted for 4.97% of applications and are 17.8% of the population, Asians made up 3.56% of applications and are 17.30% of the population, and Pacific peoples were 0.56% of applications and account for 8.90% of the population. New Zealand introduced the End-of-Life Choice Act 2019, which legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide effective Nov. 7, 2021. The law allows eligible individuals — those aged 18 or older, who are citizens or permanent residents, have a terminal illness expected to end their life within six months, are in irreversible decline, and are experiencing unbearable suffering — to pursue assisted dying.
Source: Christian Daily International
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