WelCom April 2024
More than 3,400 Belgians were euthanised in 2023 – a 15% increase over 2022. Latest statistics reveal that there were 3,423 officially reported deaths — 3.1% of all deaths in Belgium. However, the European Institute of Bioethics noted that ‘scientific studies estimate that about 25 to 35% of unreported cases of euthanasia should be added’ to this figure. About 71% of patients were over 70 and 42% were over 80. The number of cases of euthanasia in patients younger than 40 years was about 1%. There was one euthanasia of a minor – a 16-year-old girl with a brain tumour who donated her organs after her death.