Demand for assisted dying is on the rise – should we be worried?

Brian from Mount Roskill

The statistics: The latest annual report by the Assisted Dying Registrar, published last week, showed the number of active applications for assisted dying rose by 20% in the past year. That statistic alarmed advocacy group Voice for Life, which noted the increase was occurring at a time when the workforce involved in the Assisted Dying Service was shrinking.
The analysis: New Zealand’s assisted dying regime is still relatively young and cases were always predicted to rise gradually each year before stabilising, meaning year-on-year increases are to be expected at this stage. Assisted deaths made up 1.25% of all deaths in NZ over the same period, which is in line with Ministry of Health predictions. In countries where assisted dying is more established, assisted deaths typically make up around 2% of all deaths.
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