Increasing euthanasia in Holland
Holland : The authorities are calling for “great caution” regarding euthanasia
The number of euthanasia cases in Holland has increased by 10% from 9,068 in 2023 to 9,958 in 2024. The health authorities are calling on doctors to exercise “great caution” particularly in the case of psychological disorders, reiterating their warnings from the previous year.
A continuous increase in euthanasia cases since 2001
The Dutch authorities are concerned following the publication of the report on euthanasia conducted in 2024.
The number of euthanasia declarations relative to the total death rate has reached 5.8 %. Those figures do not take into account the unofficial euthanasia, which by definition are uncountable, and palliative sedations which are sometimes euthanasia in disguise. In certain regions, between 10 and 20% of deaths are linked to euthanasia.
9,753 reports (97.94 %), referred to “life interruption on request” and 187 reports (1.88 %) assisted suicide. 18 reports (0.18 %), mentioned a combination of the two when the patient does not die quickly enough in the context of assisted suicide. The doctor then intervenes to re-administer the product.
The majority of euthanasia are conducted in the home (7,728), i.e. 77%, followed by care homes or hospices accounting for 18%.
In the introduction to the report, Jeroen Recourt, the president coordinator of the euthanasia supervision regional commissions (RTE), stresses that “As in previous years, the number of euthanasia cases again increased significantly in 2024.” That is the reason why an investigation has been called to explore the causes of the increase. However, he states that: “We can now assert that there is no reason to believe that the steady increase of these recent years will soon be coming to an end.“
In 86.7% of euthanasia cases practiced (i.e. 8,593 people), the patients were suffering from physical diseases: 5,346 were suffering from cancer (the most common factor, 681 from nervous system pathologies – such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis or ALS, 429 from cardio-vascular diseases; 346 from pulmonary pathologies; 1791 from multiple pathologies (generally somatic). Again in 2023, 397 people suffering from multiple pathologies associated with old age were able to resort to euthanasia.
Call for caution in the event of psychological disorders
Euthanasia for suffering resulting from psychological disorders (219 cases) increased by 70% compared with the previous year.
In a statement released in March 2025, the euthanasia supervisory commissions pointed out in particular six cases where the doctor did not comply with the requirements or procedures established by the law. They issued a warning especially for euthanasia cases resulting largely from the suffering consequent upon psychological disorders, recalling that the doctor must always call for a psychiatric evaluation of such patients.
A 150% increase in the number of euthanasia cases for dementia
Euthanasia was granted to 427 people suffering from dementia i.e. a 150% increase over 4 years. Due to a shortage of human means, only 346 of these reports were evaluated in 2024. The others will be examined in 2025. Among those, 340 patients were still apt at discernment. They were patients at a stage of dementia during which they still had an idea of the symptoms of their disease, such as the loss of personality and disorientation in time and space.
Six reports evaluated in 2024 concerned patients suffering from an advanced stage of dementia. In legal terms they were no longer able to give enlightened consent and were no longer able to communicate significantly on the subject. Their written request for euthanasia, prepared beforehand, replaced the verbal request. Over half of euthanasia cases (57.5%) for dementia were conducted by doctors affiliated to the “Centre d’expertise en euthanasie” (Euthanasia Expertise Centre) who conduct euthanasia which other doctors do not wish to perform for various reasons.
In total, 1,417 of euthanasia were performed by such doctors at the euthanasia centre, on the recommendation of their GP, or at the request of the patients or their families.
Specific cases: organ donations and euthanasia in duo
28 cases of euthanasia resulted in an organ donation, conducted very controversially in the context of a programmed death. Euthanasia in such cases must be performed in a hospital.
If two patients request simultaneous euthanasia and the request is accepted, the supervisory commission records it as a duo euthanasia. Until 2024, this could only occur for married couples. This year, for the first time, cases of euthanasia in duo involving close family members have been reported rather than married couples. In 2024, 54 duo euthanasia reports were received for 108 people.
Disillusion regarding the “strict framework”
Professor Theo Boer, an ex-inspector of euthanasia cases in Holland, again issued a warning to France, in a column published in Le Monde on 7th April 2025, at the time of the start of the examination of the bill on assisted suicide and euthanasia.
“For more than twenty years, Holland has been experimenting with euthanasia in a framework presented as being strict, contained and ethical. However, the figures published in the latest report by the examination committee, on 24th March, tell a very different tale. That of a constant extension, gradually becoming commonplace and a silent cultural upheaval.”
Already in 2022, he was concerned about this evolution. Warning France against legislating for euthanasia, he pointed out that “What is perceived as a welcome opportunity by those who are attached to their self-determination quickly degenerates to an encouragement of despair for others“.
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