From the entry into force of the law until 31 December 2023, 1,515 applications for aid in dying have been dealt with: 173 during 2021, 576 in 2022 and 766 in 2023.

The Ministry of Health has published the 2023 annual evaluation report on the provision of aid in dying in Spain. The report reveals that 766 requests for aid in dying were registered last year, of which 334 were carried out. In 2023, 24.8% more requests for euthanasia were registered than in the previous year.

Organic Law 3/2021 of 24 March on the regulation of euthanasia (LORE), which came into force on 25 June 2021, was created to provide a legal, systematic, balanced and guaranteed response to a sustained demand from today’s society by introducing a new individual right in our country.

Since it entered into force and until 31 December 2023, 1,515 applications for aid in dying benefits have been processed: 173 during 2021; 576 in 2022 and 766 in 2023.

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Nearly 25% more euthanasia requests in 2023 than in the previous year

More data from the report

• The most frequent profile is that of an applicant between 70 and 79 years of age (28%).
• The most frequent underlying diseases among applicants were oncological (35%) and neurological (35%).

• The applicants are seriously ill and, while most of them have de facto capacity at the start of the application (95%), 15% were at imminent risk of losing this capacity.
• In relation to the time elapsed from application to the realisation of the aid in dying benefit, it was 67 days on average, with a median of 54.2 days.
• Some 25% of the applicants died before their application was resolved. The average time from application to death was 30 days.
• The benefit is preferably provided in primary care and public health care settings.
• As for the place where the service was provided, 47% of the time it took place in a hospital, while 44% of the time it took place in the patient’s residence or home.
• The number of people who change their mind, i.e. revoke the benefit, is minimal (3%).
• The number of people requesting to postpone the application of euthanasia after the application has been approved is 4% of the total number.
• The number of rejected applications was 24%, of which, following complaints to the corresponding Euthanasia Guarantee and Evaluation Commission (CGyE), more than half of the applications (58%) were considered favourable.
• In most cases, the direct administration of the medication by the healthcare team was requested.

• In most cases, direct administration of the medication by the healthcare team is requested.
• 12.5% of applicants took advantage of the organ donation programme by the specific protocol established.

Applications and benefits for aid in dying in 2023 by Autonomous Community:

The distribution of the 766 requests for euthanasia registered throughout the national territory is as follows: Catalonia 219, Madrid 89, Canary Islands 62, Basque Country 58, Valencian Community 56, Andalusia 43, Galicia 41, Balearic Islands 37, Asturias 33, Castile-La Mancha 28, Castile and Leon 27, Navarre 24, Aragon 22, Cantabria 19, La Rioja 4, Extremadura 2, Murcia 2, Melilla 0 and Ceuta 0.