In 2018, 2,357 cases of euthanasia were reported in Belgium, representing 2% of annual deaths and an increase of 1.8% compared to 2017. The majority involved patients 60 to 89 years of age, more often women than men, and most took place at home (61.1%). The main conditions prompting requests for euthanasia are cancers (61.4%) or a combination of several conditions “which were no longer likely to improve” (18.6%). In 2.4% of these cases, the euthanasia involved patients with mental and behavioural disorders, and “less than 1% of the cases” involved unconscious patients who had declared their wishes in advance. No euthanasia of minors was recorded by the Commission, but 1.7% of patients were under 40 years old. According to the Commission, “all of the declarations received met the essential legal requirements”.
To find out more:
- In Belgium, 12,550 early declarations of euthanasia in 2018
- Euthanasia soaring in Belgium
- Belgium: 1,000 cases of euthanasia each year without patients’ consent
- Belgium and Luxembourg: euthanasia is increasing
- 2,024 cases of euthanasia reported in Belgium in 2016
Le Soir (28/02/2019)
