In Australia, assisted suicide numbers are reaching new heights.
In its third year of legalized assisted dying, Queensland recorded the highest proportion of such deaths of any Australian state at the three-year mark and surpassed all worldwide jurisdictions where assisted suicide is legal. In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), assisted suicide accounted for about 3.5% of all deaths in an eight-month period.
Queensland
Assisted suicide was legalized in Queensland in January 2023. Assisted suicide has increased by 36.44% percent in Queensland since the 2023-2024 reporting period.
In 2023-24, about 359 individuals were recorded to not have access to palliative care during their first assessment for assisted suicide or euthanasia. But from 2024-26, that number increased to 503 — a 40.11% spike in two years.
In the midst of the increase, the Queensland Voluntary Assisted Dying Review recommends tearing down certain safeguards on assisted death access. Those seeking such death are required by law to have an in-person consultation with a “relevant medical professional” during the pross. But the review recommends removing that law in its most recent report and instead introducing telehealth video calls or phone calls “to be used for the provision of all steps with the voluntary assisted dying process.” The review also calls for including people with dementia within the “existing eligibility criteria.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Hannah Davis and originally published by Decision Magazine.
