Euthanasia statistics by country

Pick a place. See its latest official number, its share of all deaths and its trend. Every figure links to the report it comes from.

  • Free
  • 10 places
  • Official reports only
  • Checked November 2026

You want the real numbers, not a headline or a guess. That is why every figure here comes from an official yearly report.

The highest share is in the Netherlands: 6.0% of all deaths in 2025. The largest number is in Canada: 16,499 in 2024. In most places, the numbers have risen since each law began.

Latest official numbers

10 places with yearly reports. Together, their latest reports add up to 37,111 assisted deaths. The years differ, so this total is only a rough guide.

Tap a place to see its details and trend.

Netherlands

2025

Number
10,341
reports to the review committees
Share of all deaths
6.0%

Type of law: A doctor or nurse may give the medicine.

Includes euthanasia and assisted suicide. 10,341 out of 173,314 deaths is 5.97%.

Per year, 2002 to 2025
Netherlands: per yearFrom 1,882 reports to the review committees in 2002 to 10,341 in 2025.03,0006,0009,00012,00020022014202510,341 in 20252002: 1,882 reports to the review committees2003: 1,815 reports to the review committees2004: 1,886 reports to the review committees2005: 1,933 reports to the review committees2006: 1,923 reports to the review committees2007: 2,120 reports to the review committees2008: 2,331 reports to the review committees2009: 2,636 reports to the review committees2010: 3,136 reports to the review committees2011: 3,695 reports to the review committees2012: 4,188 reports to the review committees2013: 4,829 reports to the review committees2014: 5,306 reports to the review committees2015: 5,516 reports to the review committees2016: 6,091 reports to the review committees2017: 6,585 reports to the review committees2018: 6,126 reports to the review committees2019: 6,361 reports to the review committees2020: 6,938 reports to the review committees2021: 7,666 reports to the review committees2022: 8,720 reports to the review committees2023: 9,068 reports to the review committees2024: 9,958 reports to the review committees2025: 10,341 reports to the review committees
Netherlands, per year
Yearreports to the review committees
20021,882
20031,815
20041,886
20051,933
20061,923
20072,120
20082,331
20092,636
20103,136
20113,695
20124,188
20134,829
20145,306
20155,516
20166,091
20176,585
20186,126
20196,361
20206,938
20217,666
20228,720
20239,068
20249,958
202510,341

Source: Regional Euthanasia Review Committees (RTE), annual report 2025. As of 12 October 2026.

Compare Netherlands with another place.

How to read these numbers

Each place counts in its own way. Some count reports. Some count deaths. Some count people who received the service.

The years are not the same either. Some places use a calendar year. Others run from July to June, or from April to March.

So compare the share of deaths first. It shows how common the practice is in each place. The raw number mostly shows how big the place is.

Why some places have no share

A share needs two numbers from the same year. It needs the assisted deaths and all deaths. Some reports give only the first one.

We do not work out a share ourselves when the report does not give one. We show a dash instead.

What these numbers do not show

  • They do not show why each person asked. Doctors mostly record the reasons, not patients.
  • They do not show places with no official report.
  • They do not show what the law allows. For that, see our laws by country tool.

Behind each number is a person, with a family and an illness. Please read the numbers with care.

Questions people ask

Which country has the highest euthanasia rate?

Of the places in this tool, the Netherlands has the highest share. In 2025, about 6% of all deaths there were reported as euthanasia or assisted suicide. Canada was next, with 5.1% in 2024.

Which country has the most euthanasia deaths?

Canada has the largest number. In 2024, 16,499 people there received medical assistance in dying. That was 5.1% of all deaths in Canada.

How many euthanasia deaths are there in the world each year?

No one counts the whole world. This tool adds up the latest yearly reports it covers. The years differ, so the total is only a rough guide.

Why do the numbers keep rising?

In most places, numbers rise in the years after a law starts. More people and doctors learn about the law. Growth has slowed in some years, but it has not clearly stopped anywhere.

How often is this data checked?

Each place shows the date we last checked it. Most reports come out once a year. We review every figure at least once every 12 months.

Sources

Checked November 2026

These are official figures, for information only. They are not medical or legal advice.