from Christian Post
Euthanasia and assisted suicide cases in New Zealand have risen by more than a third in the past year, reaching 472 deaths between April 2024 and March 2025 — a 37.21% increase over the previous year, according to figures cited by Right to Life UK from the New Zealand Ministry of Health.
The pro-life group called the surge “a cause for alarm” and warned that the country is following the same steep upward trend seen in other nations that have legalized the practice.
“New Zealand appears to be following the same trend as other countries that have introduced euthanasia and assisted suicide legislation in recent years — a steep year-on-year increase in deaths through assisted suicide and euthanasia.
“The experience of New Zealand should serve as a portent of what we can likely expect in England and Wales should Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill pass the Lords,” said Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK.
Altogether, the data show 472 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide in New Zealand from April 1, 2024, through March 30 of this year. This is a 37.21% increase from the same period the previous year, when there were 344 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide in the country. It equals 1.25% of all deaths in New Zealand.
According to Right To Life UK, reasons cited by the now-deceased applicants for seeking euthanasia or assisted suicide included having disabilities (12%), even though one in five were not receiving palliative care. Only 19 applicants underwent a psychiatric assessment to determine their competence to make an informed decision.