Table of Contents
The runaway train continues. The Netherlands has released its yearly report on euthanasia, revealing that 10,341 individuals died by euthanasia in 2025 – the highest annual total since legalisation in 2002. This represents a 3.8 per cent increase from 2024, with euthanasia accounting for nearly six per cent of all Dutch deaths (173,314 total deaths).
One of these deaths involved a young person aged between 12 and 18. The Regional Euthanasia Review Committee report provides no further details on the case, other than confirming it was based on a physical condition rather than a psychiatric one.
According to the report, nearly three-quarters (74.7 per cent) of individuals who received euthanasia were aged over 70. Over 85 per cent of cases involved common physical conditions such as cancer, disorders of the nervous system, lung conditions, or cardiovascular disease. There were 174 cases involving mental health disorders as the primary ground – 45 fewer than in 2024, a decrease of approximately 21 per cent.
Although the majority of cases involved people over 70, 33 cases concerned individuals aged 18–30, 71 cases those aged 30–40, and 160 cases those aged 40–50. The third-largest group was people aged 60–70.
Dementia-related euthanasia cases rose by 17 per cent in 2025, while cases involving an accumulation of age-related conditions increased by 20 per cent (from 397 in 2024 to 475). Duo-euthanasia – where two closely related people (such as partners, siblings, or parent and child) receive euthanasia together – also rose, with 60 cases recorded, an 11 per cent increase from 2024.
The Dutch model has long been regarded internationally as an example of a balanced and careful system, even as it includes psychiatric conditions and minors. However, since legalisation in 2002, the data show a clear, long-term upward trend. The number of official notifications has increased more than 5.5-fold, rising from under 2,000 per year in the early 2000s to over 10,000 in 2025. As a share of all deaths, euthanasia has grown from roughly 1.3 per cent to nearly six per cent.
While supporters of euthanasia may point to the relatively slow growth this year and the decreasing number of psychiatric cases, the overall trajectory remains one of steady increase. An expansion that now includes young people and a persistent rise in psychiatric and dementia-related cases is not necessarily something to celebrate. As Charles Lane has argued in the Atlantic, the Dutch experience may serve as a warning that the risks of euthanasia represent less of a slippery slope and more of a runaway train.
This article was originally published by Family First New Zealand.
