Assisted dying laws are now in effect in countries home to over 300 million people, with policies varying considerably across different jurisdictions. Since 2015, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Austria have introduced such laws, with some extending beyond the terminally ill.
In the US, assisted dying is legal in 30 states and Washington DC. Oregon, which legalised it in 1997 for terminally ill, mentally competent adults expected to die within six months, has seen 3,691 deaths since then. Patients in Oregon must self-administer the lethal medication.
Canada introduced medical assistance in dying (Maid) in 2016 for the terminally ill, later extending it in 2021 to those with "unbearable suffering" from an irreversible illness or disability. Roughly one in every 20 deaths in Canada is now medically assisted.
Across Europe, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, and Austria have legalised some form of assisted dying. The Netherlands and Belgium, which legalised it over 20 years ago, have extended it to children. Spain and Austria recently legalised it for both terminal illness and intolerable suffering.
In the British Isles, Jersey's assisted dying bill received Royal Assent in July, with the service expected to be operational in about 18 months. This legislation allows individuals to choose to have a doctor administer a lethal dose intravenously. The Isle of Man's assisted dying bill, passed by Tynwald last year, has been sent to the UK government for a second time after initial Royal Assent was declined.