Belgium 2025 euthanasia report: a record number of euthanasia deaths.

Belgian 2025 report: There were 4,486 reported euthanasia deaths up by 12.4% in 2024.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The European Institute of Bioethics (IEB-EIB) reported that the 2025 Belgian euthanasia report indicated that there were 4,486 reported euthanasia deaths in 2025 representing a 12.4% increase from 2024. According the IEB-EIB (Google translated from French):

On March 20, the Belgian Federal Commission for the Control and Evaluation of Euthanasia (CFCEE) released figures on euthanasia cases reported for 2025. 

The number of officially recorded euthanasia deaths last year reached a new record: 4,486 were reported to the Commission. This represents a 12.4% increase compared to 2024, a 51% increase over three years, and almost a doubling in just five years. 

Euthanasia now accounts for 4% of all deaths registered in Belgium, and this upward trend could intensify, judging by the reasons given on euthanasia registration forms. 

Multiple pathologies, the second most frequently cited condition after cancer, have increased by 67% in two years and now represent nearly a third of all reported euthanasia cases. More specifically, the proportion of euthanasia done on individuals who were not terminally ill due to multiple chronic conditions has literally increased tenfold in five years, rising from 5.9% to 57.3%. 

These percentages, which have been steadily increasing since the decriminalization of this practice in Belgium, raising serious questions: has old age become a sufficient reason to resort to euthanasia? 

Multiple chronic conditions: a vague category akin to the weariness of living.

In its latest biennial report published in 2025, the Control Commission highlighted this continued rise in euthanasia based on the criterion of multiple chronic conditions and explained that:

"this percentage will continue to increase, as multiple chronic conditions are associated with the aging process that patients undergo." 

Indeed, multiple chronic conditions, according to the Commission, refer to "a combination of conditions caused by several chronic illnesses that are progressing towards a terminal stage." In practice, these conditions can include end-stage heart failure, hemiplegia due to a stroke, as well as cognitive impairment, vision or hearing loss, rheumatoid arthritis, or incontinence. 

While some of these conditions are life-threatening, they primarily affect quality of life, which explains why, in 2025, more than half of the euthanasia deaths in this category (57.3%) were done when death was not expected in the short term. Is the fear of dependency becoming sufficient to shorten life? 

To understand what justifies euthanasia based on these conditions, that do not directly threaten life, one must bear in mind the subjective logic followed by the Oversight Commission in its verification of the legality of euthanasia, according to which the patient's perception of suffering is considered authoritative. 

In cases of multiple chronic conditions, the chronic progression of illnesses extends over several years and can cause significant psychological suffering, according to the Commission. Based on the scientific research of Marianne Dees, the Commission reports that:

"feelings of hopelessness, dependence on care, fear of further deterioration, and fear of increased physical suffering are determining factors in requests for euthanasia." 

In this context, it is also understandable that in 86% of all reported cases of euthanasia, both physical and psychological suffering were mentioned simultaneously. This finding underscores the vital need for better support for the elderly and at the end of life in general, so that weariness of living and fear of dependency do not become sufficient reasons to shorten a person's life.

The IEB-EIB refer to reported euthanasia deaths since previous studies indicate that there is a significant number of euthanasia that are simply not reported. Therefore the actual number of euthanasia deaths is likely much higher.

Some recent articles on Belgium's experience with euthanasia.

• Belgian bioethics committee supports eugenic euthanasia (Read). 
• Belgium debates expanding euthanasia to people with dementia (Read). 
• Almost 4000 reported Belgian euthanasia deaths in 2024 (Read). 
• The President of Belgium's largest health insurance fund promotes euthanasia as an answer to healthcare funding. (Read). 
• Belgian doctor completes euthanasia with a pillow (Read).
  

Slovenian Supreme Court upholds results of assisted suicide referendum.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.

I have more great news from Slovenia.

The Slovenian Supreme Court has upheld the results of the assisted suicide referendum that rejected the Slovenian assisted suicide law.

The Slovenian parliament legalized assisted suicide in July 2025. After the passing of the poison bill, a group of citizens organized by Aleš Primc, of the Slovenian Voice for Children and Families, collected 46,000 to require a referendum on the assisted suicide bill.

On November 23, 2025, the Slovenian people rejected the assisted suicide law by passing the referendum by a 53.46% margin.

Following the successful referendum vote, a court challenge was launched claiming irregularities in the referendum campaign.

On March 24, 2026, the Slovenian Supreme Court rejected the challenge to the referendum results and decided that there was no proof that any alleged irregularities had a significant impact on the vote and its outcome.

Aleš Primc

Aleš Primc, told the European Conservative that:

I am convinced that a miracle happened. In recent years, the media often published manipulative emotional stories in favor of assisted dying and polls in the final week suggested less than 30% of the public opposed it. We won the referendum with 53.46%.

Please read our article on how Slovenian overturned their assisted suicide law. (Read).

Euthanasia and assisted suicide laws have lost their luster.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Robert Clarke, a lawyer and the director of advocacy with ADF International was published in the Federalist on March 23, 2026 with his article: Around the World, Assisted Suicide Laws Are Losing Support. Clarke outlines how campaigns to legalize euthanasia and/or assisted suicide have lost their luster and a new direction has begun to begin rolling back laws that already exist. 

Clarke writes:

Last week, Scotland resolutely rejected assisted suicide. Alberta announced major new legislation to protect individuals from the practice. And the clock is ticking in the United Kingdom’s House of Lords on a bill that would legalize the practice in England and Wales.

Clarke explains that the recent defeat of Scotland's assisted suicide bill by a vote of 69 to 57 happened with cross-party opposition to the bill. Clarke also refers to the introduction in Alberta of Bill 18, a government bill that will use provincial jurisdiction to institute greater protections for Albertans concerning euthanasia.

Alberta Bill 18 will:

• require the individual to have a 12 month terminal prognosis, thus preventing Track 2 euthanasia approvals. Track 2 refers to euthanasia for people who are not terminally ill.
• prevent the expansion of euthanasia to people with mental illness alone, 
• prevent the expansion of euthanasia to "mature minors", people who cannot consent and prevent euthanasia by advanced request,
• prevent out of province referrals,
• require the assessor to contact other practitioners who have cared for the patient, before approval.
• require (MAiD) euthanasia practitioners to receive specific training,
• prevent health care practitioners from introducing euthanasia, without a request,
• require Regulatory Colleges to sanction practitioners who violate the act.
• provide conscience rights by enabling practitioners to refuse to participate or provide assessments for (MAiD) euthanasia,
• enable institutions to refuse to participate or provide assessments for euthanasia,
• create an exclusion zone for euthanasia around an institution that refuses to participate,
• require practitioners who refuse to participate or provide assessments to provide information to patients wanting to access euthanasia.

Clarke writes:

Over the last four years, deaths in Alberta from Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) regime increased by 109 percent. In her announcement, Alberta’s premier, Danielle Smith, was clear that the proposed law is “about protecting vulnerable Albertans.” As the federal government seeks to expand MAID across the country, including by moving to allow assisted suicide solely on the basis of mental health concerns, Alberta is drawing a line to protect its most vulnerable. If passed, the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act would prohibit MAID for minors and when the sole condition is mental illness, in addition to introducing other key protections and delineating a right to conscientious objection.

Clarke maintains that safeguards cannot make euthanasia or assisted suicide safe but Alberta Bill 18 is headed in the right direction by dealing with some of the most egregious parts of Canada's euthanasia law.

The key factors as to why euthanasia and assisted suicide have lost their luster are the radical implementation and expansion of Canada's euthanasia law and the incredible referendum overturning the Slovenian assisted suicide law. In fact, Canada's euthanasia law had a direct affect on Slovenia's successful referendum campaign.

Canada origally legalized euthanasia for people who were terminally ill and suffering. Canadians were told the the law would only be a last resort, but from the beginning the language of the law lacked definition which immediately led to a type of expansion. 

In less than 5 years Canada expanded the law legally by removing the requirement that a person be terminally ili, eliminated the "reflection period" for those who are terminally ill to allow a same-day death, eliminating the requirement that a person be capable of consenting at the time of the killing and allowing euthanasia for mental illness alone. Parliament delayed euthanasia for mental illness alone. It is now scheduled to begin on March 17, 2027.

The euthanasia stories from Canada have had an incredible effect on the international euthanasia debate. The world asks how a 26-year-old diabetic man with a serious history with mental health issue, who lives in Ontario, could be killed by euthanasia in Vancouver BC after not being approved to be killed by doctors in his own province.

The world asks how a man with a back disability can be approved for euthanasia, even though he is only asking to be killed because of housing issues. The same question comes up concerning an Ontario woman with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities who was living in social housing. She was killed by euthanasia even though she actually needed suitable housing.

These are only a few of the incredible number of stories from Canada that are changing the international perception of euthanasia and assisted suicide. For those who do not oppose killing people, euthanasia and assisted suicide are becoming an interesting theoretical experiment without an effective practical implementation.

The incredible referendum campaign that overturned Slovenia's assisted suicide law is another key factor. Here is an article I wrote about this campaign. (Read article). 

Slovenia is the first country to legalize assisted suicide and then overturn the law. We all now how difficult it is to run a referendum campaign, but the Slovenian campaign stuck to their talking points and did not avoid the truth of what euthanasia and assisted suicide actually are,

The average person continues to have an aversion to killing people. So long as we focus on what euthanasia and assisted suicide actually are, we can win the debate. When become afraid of saying the truth and argue that euthanasia and assisted suicide are not necessary, that means that it is OK but not necessary. Why isn't it necessary? 

Killing is not only unnecessary but it is always wrong to give medical practitioners the right in law to kill you. Also, once legal it cannot be controlled. Killing is contagious.

Free online Life Worth Living film screening on March 30.

Register in advance to watch the free online screening of the powerful Life Worth Living film on Monday, March 30 at 7 pm (Eastern Time). (Registration Link)

The Life Worth Living film features stories from people who have been directly affected, doctors who explain their experiences, and people who are working to prevent euthanasia in Canada. 

Register in advance for this online event: (Zoom registration link). After registering you will receive a viewing link.

EPC has had multiple online screenings and many groups have sponsored screenings of the Life Worth Living film. We encourage groups and individuals to arrange a screening of the Life Worth Living film. Contact EPC at info@epcc.ca

Life Worth Living was a finalist at the Cannes World Film Festival and is being considered by multiple film festivals. 

Life Worth Living is 60 minutes long. After the completion of the broadcast we will have time for a discussion.

Life Worth Living features:

• Alicia Duncan, whose mother died by euthanasia with conditions based on mental health, 
• Kelsi Sheren, a Canadian military veteran. CEO, best selling Author of the book - Brass & Unity, TedX speaker and host of the Kelsi Sheren perspective.

  

  Roger Foley

• Roger Foley, a Canadian man living with a significant disability who has been pressured by hospital staff to request euthanasia.
• Dr David D'Souza, Ontario pain specialist.
• Dr Catherine Ferrier, Quebec Gerontologist and a leader of the Physicians' Alliance against Euthanasia, 
• Dr Will Johnston, family physician and leader of Euthanasia Resistance BC
• Kathy Matusiak Costa, Executive Director of Compassionate Community Care,
• Alex Schadenberg, (myself), author, keynote speaker, International leader opposing euthanasia and assisted suicide.

 

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition needs your help:

1. Arrange to have Life Worth Living shown in your community. Contact us at: info@epcc.ca
2. You may want a speaker at the event to lead a discussion. Contact us at: info@epcc.ca
3. You can purchase the Life Worth Living film at:  www.lifeworthlivingfilm.com or through Salem Now.

Register for the next Compassionate Community Care - Visitor Training Program - .

Kathy Matusiak Costa

Register for the free online Being With My Story Visitor Volunteer Training program on April 15 and 16 and become involved with visiting people in your community who are elderly and/or living alone.

 

Register online (Registration Link).

This special training is provided by Compassionate Community Care (CCC) and is co-hosted with CCC Executive Director, Kathy Matusiak Costa and Alex Schadenberg, EPC Executive Director.

Alex Schadenberg

Caring for people. Gain the confidence to journey with those who are lonely, socially isolated, sick, or dying, to renew their hope and purpose in living until they die.

 

The Training Workshop is composed of two sessions, each session is two hours held on: 

Wednesday April 15 (7 pm - 9 pm) (EST)

Thursday April 16 (7 pm - 9 pm) (EST)

With Kathy Matusiak Costa, Executive Director of Compassionate Community Care, and Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. 

Register online now: (Registration Link)

 

Compassionate Community Care: 

383 Horton St. E, London, ON N6B 1L6
Office tel. 519-439-6445 

info@beingwith.org • www.beingwith.org

CCC Helpline: 1-855-675-8749

 

Charitable registration # 824667869RR0001

International change projected from Alberta Bill 18

Gordon Friesen

By Gordon Friesen
President, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

I think it is fair to say that the world-wide euthanasia/assisted-suicide/medical-homicide debate has recently entered a new phase.

For as long as I can remember, a relentless click-clack, click-clack, click-clack, political ratchet sound had signalled "progress" in one direction alone: more legal jurisdictions; wider eligibility; increasingly limited access to real care.

Article: Alberta Bill 18 will provide limits to euthanasia (MAiD) (Read).

Our victories were counted in the defeat of euthanasia and assisted suicide bills. And, even while celebrating, we knew that the same people would be back, next year, in the same states or countries, with the same bills (or perhaps something even worse).

In the last few years, huge chunks of cultural geography seemed poised to totter all at once, notably including the entire British diaspora of UK, Wales, Scotland, the Chanel Islands, Australia, New Zealand, and of course, Canada. France too, had lately joined the contest, along with the rest of Southern Europe. And in the US the "progressive" bastions of Illinois, and New York, finally managed to eke out a long awaited pro-death majority.

But now, it would seem that the winds may indeed be changing. For although its former satellites --Australia, Canada, and more-- have indeed forged ahead in radical fashion, The UK itself including all its main constituents (England, Scotland) has not. And while France has been teetering for years, against all lucid prediction: it teeters still.

And then something amazing occurred. Slovenian legislators legalized euthanasia in July 2025, according to the same "the fix is in" international playbook that we see advanced elsewhere. But the Slovenian people suddenly rose up and reversed that decision with a binding referendum, in November of the same year!

Apparently, this tiny victory, in a nation of only 2 million souls, is destined to be recorded in history as that first infinitesimal crack in an apparently indestructible wall, which clearly foretells (for those who can read the signs) a future collapse of the entire structure. For in this instance, a euthanasia legalizing initiative was not merely postponed, but frankly rolled back.

To be clear on this point: unlike any number of American States, Slovenians will not face a new euthanasia initiative next year. And this, in exactly the same way that an overturned US Supreme Court decision never results in new legislation, to the same effect, for at least a generation.

Quite frankly, I think most people assumed (or at least feared) that this victory would be a one-off, and that the death-cult steam-roller would continue unabated as before.

But now we have Alberta, one of ten Canadian Provinces which suddenly says:

"No, Canada may render an extended practice of legal euthanasia, but the Province of Alberta will limit such practice within the bounds of public healthcare."

Once again, as in Slovenia, what is already legal (and in the Canadian context what had been actual practice going back five years) will be halted. Not a prevention. A roll-back!

In a little while it will be appropriate to say something more specific about the meaning of Alberta Bill 18 for Canada, and especially, for other Canadian Provinces. But for today, I would simply like to make two international remarks.

First: it can be done!

Defeating a Bill in your jurisdiction is not necessarily a temporary victory. It is possible that you have stopped this madness permanently. And furthermore --just as in Slovenia and Alberta-- even losing is not the end of rational hope. Evil policy can actually be reversed. We have the proof!

My second remark, however, is more sobering: The popping of champagne corks, that we hear in Canada today, is to celebrate rolling back the demented policy of that nation in only one of ten Provinces; and even there, only to the original state of euthanasia law in 2016, which was then the most radical in the world.

The number one lesson of Alberta, in the US and around the world, is therefore this:

If you do not wish to find yourself in a similar situation to that described, it is imperative to invest yourself, now, in the struggle to prevent any legalization, whatsoever, in whatever jurisdiction you cherish as your home.

My mother's life was protected from Euthanasia (MAiD)

A supporter sent an email about how the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition's Life Protecting Power of Attorney for Personal Care protected her mother's life.

When my mother's health began to seriously decline in 2019 she was prescribed a strong narcotic to help her with depression and insomnia. She was living independently in her condo but I moved into her building to assist her so she could maintain her independence and dignity. She was prescribed a medication with strict dosage instructions and I monitored the dosage. She wanted more but I said she had to wait for morning. When I brought her breakfast, the next morning, she was very confused and didn't know who I was so I called an ambulance. Her pill bottle had been hidden but she found it and 6 pills were missing. She recovered but she told a psychiatrist at the hospital, when I wasn't around, that she wanted to die. The psychiatrist made me aware of her wishes, I said,

"Over my dead body. My mother wants to die but she does not want to be killed!"

By the grace of God, my Mom had signed a copy of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, Life-Protecting Power of Attorney for Personal Care. I had a copy of it and gave it to the nurses at the nursing station when she was admitted and it was HANDS OFF from then on. The Psychiatrist never approached me again. Mom came home from the hospital and I had help with Palliative Care nurses and PSW's. My Mom actually went bowling on her birthday. She passed 6 months later at home but a miracle happened one afternoon. 

A nurse asked me to come into my mom's bedroom because she was dying. There was also a PSW present. I went to her room and thought, it's not her time yet. Sure enough, the phone rang in the silence and my Mom jumped up to answer the phone. The PSW screamed, I laughed and we answered the phone for Mom. It was my niece, her grand daughter, who wanted to see her. The next day my niece came to visit, climbed into bed with her and they had a pyjama party. My Mom died the next day in her own bed on her won terms, not their terms.

EPC sells the Life Protecting Power of Attorney for Personal Care for $10 + taxes. Order the Life Protecting Power of Attorney (through our website) or by calling: 1-877-439-3348 or info@epcc.ca

The Life Protecting Power of Attorney ensures that your power of attorney will have the power to uphold values, it protects you from euthanasia and assisted suicide and it defines the treatment decisions that you would want and how those decisions are to be made.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition has versions for different provinces and for all 50 states.

Alberta Bill 18 will provide limits to euthanasia.

Alberta Bill 18: Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Alberta's Minister of Justice, Mickey Amery, introduced Bill 18: the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act (today) on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

Bill 18 is designed to create greater oversight of (MAiD) euthanasia in Alberta through provincial powers and will accomplish a few key outcomes. Bill 18 will:

• require the individual to have a 12 month terminal prognosis, thus preventing Track 2 euthanasia approvals. Track 2 refers to euthanasia for people who are not terminally ill.
• prevent the expansion of euthanasia to people with mental illness alone, 
• prevent the expansion of euthanasia to "mature minors", 
• prevent euthanasia for people who cannot consent.
• prevent euthanasia by advanced request.
• prevent out of province referrals,
• require the assessor to contact other practitioners who have cared for the patient, before approval.
• require (MAiD) euthanasia practitioners to receive specific training,
• prevent health care practitioners from introducing euthanasia, without a request,
• require Regulatory Colleges to sanction practitioners who violate the act.
• provide conscience rights by enabling practitioners to refuse to participate or provide assessments for (MAiD) euthanasia,
• enable institutions to refuse to participate or provide assessments for euthanasia,
• create an exclusion zone for euthanasia around an institution that refuses to participate,
• require practitioners who refuse to participate or provide assessments to provide information to patients wanting to access euthanasia.

Alberta Health Services released its 2025 (MAiD) euthanasia data indicating that there were 1,242 reported euthanasia deaths in Alberta which was up by more than 11% from 1,117 in 2024. Alberta represents 11.8% of Canada's population.

Based on the data, as of March 18, 2026 there has likely been more than 6500 Alberta euthanasia deaths since legalization.

Bill 18 doesn't prohibit euthanasia but it provides reasonable controls over euthanasia, while preventing euthanasia for people who are not terminally ill or living with mental illness as their sole underlying condition, and it prevents further expansions of euthanasia in Alberta. 

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition supports Bill 18 and we urge other Canadian provinces to follow Alberta's lead.

Washington state had a record number of assisted suicide deaths.

Alex Schadenberg

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Washington state legalized assisted suicide in 2009 and continues to have significant yearly increases in deaths.

The recently released 2024 Washington State assisted suicide report indicates a significant increase in assisted suicide deaths as compared to the 2023 report and 2022 report. 

The 2024 report stated that there were 655 participants which is up by 20% from 545 in 2023 which was up by 21% from 452 in 2022. 

The 2024 report further indicated that 491 people were known to have died by assisted suicide which is up by 15% from 427 in 2023 which was up by almost 18% from 363 in 2022.

There may have been more assisted suicide deaths.

The 2024 report indicates that: 655 people participated, 641 participants are known to have died, 491 are known to have died after ingesting the lethal poison, 57 died without ingesting the lethal poison and the ingestion status was unknown for 93 people.

The Washington state report indicates that there were 93 participants whose death status or whose ingestion status was unknown. When the ingestion status is unknown, the person may have died by assisted suicide but no assisted suicide report was filed.

Some important information:

The Washington state data is imprecise concerning the length of time between ingesting the poison and death. The 2024 report indicates that 15% of the deaths took longer than 2 hours which is under represented since in 28% of the deaths the data is unknown.

The 2023 Oregon data indicated that the longest time of death was 137 hours and previous to 2023 the longest time of death was 104 hours.

The Washington state data is also imprecise concerning the length of time between the first request and the death by assisted suicide. The 2024 report states that 15% of the participants lived more than 120 days after first request. The law requires the participant, to be approved, to have a 6 month (180 day) prognosis and yet the data does not provide an option stating how many participants lived more than 180 days.

It is important to note that none of the 655 participants received a psychiatric evaluation.

The lack of oversight of the law.

A significant number of required reports were not filed, even though the 2024 report states: 

To receive the immunity protection provided by chapter 70.245 RCW, qualified medical providers and pharmacists must make a good-faith effort to file required documentation in a complete and timely manner. In 2022 and prior years, providers were required to submit forms by mail. In April 2023, legislation was passed that allows providers to submit data electronically

For instance, there were 655 participants but there were only 641 pharmacy dispensing forms, 592 attending medical provider compliance forms, 579 consulting medical compliance forms, 580 written request to end life forms and only 590 after death reporting forms.

Alex Raikin

In his article: How America abandoned it's assisted suicide safeguards, Alexander Raikin states:

Failure to submit this documentation isn’t just a statutory offense. Medical providers and pharmacists who fail to “make a good-faith effort to file required documentation in a complete and timely manner”, as Washington state law instructs, risk losing“immunity protection” for the criminal act of assisting someone’s suicide. Yet a Department of Health report found that physicians improperly reported compliance for a third of all assisted suicide deaths in the Evergreen State. Indeed, Washington is missing 515 compliance forms entirely for the period between 2009 to 2023, according to my calculations based on annual reports, and is also short of 293 “written request” documents that patients are required to sign attesting that they wish to die by suicide.

There were assisted suicide deaths that Washington state could charge medical providers with breaking the law, as they are not protected by the Death with Dignity act when they fail to file all of the reports.

Last year, the Washington state Department of Health announced that they would no longer publish an assisted suicide report, even though the report is legally required by law. Therefore the 2024 is the final report.

The Washington state Department of Health is aware of the lack of oversight of their assisted suicide law and would rather hide the data than publish the data and have researchers point out the flaws. Washington state is not the only violator of the reporting requirements. New Mexico has never published an assisted suicide report.

Further to that, the Oregon reports also clearly show how there is no effective oversight of the law. People are being killed and for many of them, we have no idea how they died or even if the basic requirements of the law were followed.