The Netherlands just crossed a chilling threshold: in 2024, nearly 10,000 people—including alcoholics and those battling depression—were euthanized, a record high that’s jolting the global debate over assisted death into overdrive.
According to a report by Bruno Waterfield in The Times on March 24, 2025, the country saw 9,958 euthanasia deaths last year—a 10% jump from 9,068 in 2023. That’s an 88% surge since 2014, painting a stark picture of a nation where ending life is becoming less exception and more routine.
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But the numbers get darker. Waterfield revealed that 219 of those deaths were for psychiatric reasons alone—up from 138 in 2023 and a mere 88 in 2020. That’s a 59% spike in just one year and a staggering 250% climb over four years. Young people in mental distress are increasingly among the casualties, a trend that’s raising red flags worldwide. The Netherlands’ experience screams a warning: extending euthanasia to psychiatric cases opens a door that’s hard to shut.
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Theo Boer, a Dutch health ethics professor and former euthanasia oversight committee member, isn’t mincing words. In a powerful piece for Le Monde on April 8, 2025, he urged France—and the world—to look at Holland and turn back.
Boer pointed out that euthanasia isn’t just growing; it’s morphing. The percentage of deaths by euthanasia rose from 5.4% in 2023 to 5.8% in 2024, with some regions hitting 15% back in 2017—a figure likely higher now. It’s no longer a last resort; it’s an option on the table. Even more chilling? ‘Couple euthanasia’—where partners or siblings die together—spiked 64% in 2024, totaling 108 deaths. Meanwhile, psychiatric cases soar, and dementia-related euthanasia climbs fast.
Boer’s take is blunt: “This is no longer a fluctuation; it’s a structural trend.” He warns that healthcare workers are starting to wonder where the line is—when does compassion turn into a reflex to kill? The Dutch government’s probing why the numbers keep rising, but here’s the kicker: they’re also mulling over expanding the law to let anyone over 74 request assisted suicide, no serious illness required. Age alone could be enough.
Canada’s watching closely—it’s set to greenlight euthanasia for psychiatric reasons by March 17, 2027. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has already slammed that plan, and the Netherlands’ data backs up their alarm.
Boer insists this isn’t just a Dutch quirk: every country that’s legalized euthanasia or assisted suicide sees the same relentless growth. Canada’s own euthanasia numbers have ballooned since it started; the slippery slope isn’t a myth—it’s a pattern.
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So why rush down this road? Legalizing killing isn’t the only way to ease suffering. Refusing burdensome treatments is already a right, and real care—comfort, not death—can address the toughest cases. Boer and the data agree: once you normalize ending life, the boundaries stretch, the numbers climb, and the reasons multiply.
Holland’s 2024 tally isn’t just a statistic—it’s a siren. Killing isn’t compassion; it’s surrender. And as the elite scramble to keep their grip, the world’s got a choice: heed the warning or follow the fall.