Death With Dignity Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Death With Dignity Statistics

From CO where 83% of aid-in-dying prescriptions ended in ingestion to Washington’s tightly timed two request process and California’s 48 hour pause, this page lays out what access looks like when the safeguards are in motion. It also tracks the evidence and policy backdrop, from JAMA findings that legalization was not linked to higher suicide rates among older adults to the growing count of 12 US jurisdictions with medical aid in dying laws as of 2024, plus how public opinion and clinician comfort vary.

23 statistics23 sources8 sections6 min readUpdated today

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

Hawaii enacted the physician aid-in-dying law (Haw. Rev. Stat. 327L) effective 2019 following enactment in 2018.

Statistic 2

Washington’s Death with Dignity Act was enacted in 2008.

Statistic 3

California’s End of Life Option Act was enacted in 2015.

Statistic 4

In Colorado 2023, 83% of prescriptions resulted in ingestion and death (completed cases over total prescriptions).

Statistic 5

Washington’s law includes a 15-day waiting period between the first request and the second request for lethal medication.

Statistic 6

Washington requires two physicians to confirm eligibility before a prescription can be written.

Statistic 7

California’s End of Life Option Act requires a 48-hour waiting period between certain oral requests (for patients to self-administer lethal medication after confirmation).

Statistic 8

In Colorado 2022, 218 prescriptions were written and 180 deaths occurred after ingestion.

Statistic 9

A major national review in JAMA concluded that access to physician-assisted death under legalization was not associated with higher suicide rates among older adults.

Statistic 10

A 2024 JAMA Internal Medicine study reported that legalization of physician-assisted dying was not associated with an increase in overall suicide rates.

Statistic 11

A 2016 JAMA study (Helsing et al.) reported no increase in harm indicators after Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act adoption as observed through population-level trends.

Statistic 12

A 2017 systematic review in the BMJ Open (by Emanuel et al. / related literature) found limited evidence that legalization increases requests beyond terminally ill patients and emphasized robust safeguards and monitoring.

Statistic 13

The American Medical Association’s Code of Medical Ethics notes that physician-assisted dying is ethically complex and discusses obligations related to patient autonomy and conscientious refusal.

Statistic 14

The U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision does not address physician aid in dying, but it provides context on state autonomy in healthcare policy debates; many DWD laws are state-level and are governed by state statutes.

Statistic 15

Washington’s statute defines eligibility as having a terminal disease and being capable, and requires the patient to be an adult resident.

Statistic 16

California’s End of Life Option Act limits eligibility to adult patients with a terminal disease and life expectancy of 6 months or less (as defined in the statute).

Statistic 17

56% of respondents in the 2019 Economist/YouGov survey said they support physician-assisted dying even if there is no ability to relieve suffering via other means (scenario support).

Statistic 18

In a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 32% of U.S. adults said assisted suicide should be illegal in all cases (universal prohibition share).

Statistic 19

In a national survey (AAHPM) of clinicians, 34% reported they were very comfortable and 29% somewhat comfortable discussing assisted dying (two-part comfort distribution).

Statistic 20

As of 2024, the number of U.S. jurisdictions with medical aid in dying laws reached 12 when including Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, Colorado, California, New Jersey, New Mexico, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and the District of Columbia (jurisdiction total).

Statistic 21

In 2020, the OECD estimated Switzerland’s life expectancy at birth was 83.4 years (comparative health indicator used in international context).

Statistic 22

WHO estimates that 40 million people need palliative care each year worldwide (global need estimate).

Statistic 23

The 2024 NHPCO Facts and Figures report states that 87% of hospices are Medicare-certified (share of hospices by certification status).

Sources
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Marcus Engström

Written by Marcus Engström·Edited by Stefan Wendt·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 14, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

As of 2024, 12 US jurisdictions allow medical aid in dying, and the latest Colorado data shows 83% of prescriptions led to completed ingestion and death. At the same time, major medical reviews in JAMA report no link between legalization and higher suicide rates among older adults, challenging the loudest public concerns. This post pulls together the key Death With Dignity statistics that matter, from waiting periods and physician confirmations to the comfort levels of clinicians and what Americans actually support.

Key Takeaways

  • Hawaii enacted the physician aid-in-dying law (Haw. Rev. Stat. 327L) effective 2019 following enactment in 2018.
  • Washington’s Death with Dignity Act was enacted in 2008.
  • California’s End of Life Option Act was enacted in 2015.
  • In Colorado 2023, 83% of prescriptions resulted in ingestion and death (completed cases over total prescriptions).
  • Washington’s law includes a 15-day waiting period between the first request and the second request for lethal medication.
  • Washington requires two physicians to confirm eligibility before a prescription can be written.
  • In Colorado 2022, 218 prescriptions were written and 180 deaths occurred after ingestion.
  • A major national review in JAMA concluded that access to physician-assisted death under legalization was not associated with higher suicide rates among older adults.
  • A 2024 JAMA Internal Medicine study reported that legalization of physician-assisted dying was not associated with an increase in overall suicide rates.
  • A 2016 JAMA study (Helsing et al.) reported no increase in harm indicators after Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act adoption as observed through population-level trends.
  • The American Medical Association’s Code of Medical Ethics notes that physician-assisted dying is ethically complex and discusses obligations related to patient autonomy and conscientious refusal.
  • The U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision does not address physician aid in dying, but it provides context on state autonomy in healthcare policy debates; many DWD laws are state-level and are governed by state statutes.
  • Washington’s statute defines eligibility as having a terminal disease and being capable, and requires the patient to be an adult resident.
  • 56% of respondents in the 2019 Economist/YouGov survey said they support physician-assisted dying even if there is no ability to relieve suffering via other means (scenario support).
  • In a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 32% of U.S. adults said assisted suicide should be illegal in all cases (universal prohibition share).

Colorado data show most prescriptions were followed by ingestion, and nationwide research finds no suicide-rate increase.

Policy Coverage

1Hawaii enacted the physician aid-in-dying law (Haw. Rev. Stat. 327L) effective 2019 following enactment in 2018.[1]
Directional
2Washington’s Death with Dignity Act was enacted in 2008.[2]
Verified
3California’s End of Life Option Act was enacted in 2015.[3]
Verified

Policy Coverage Interpretation

Under the policy coverage lens, more than just a handful of states have adopted Death With Dignity measures, with Washington in 2008 followed by California in 2015 and Hawaii in 2019, showing steady expansion over roughly a decade.

Safety & Safeguards

1In Colorado 2023, 83% of prescriptions resulted in ingestion and death (completed cases over total prescriptions).[4]
Single source
2Washington’s law includes a 15-day waiting period between the first request and the second request for lethal medication.[5]
Verified
3Washington requires two physicians to confirm eligibility before a prescription can be written.[6]
Verified
4California’s End of Life Option Act requires a 48-hour waiting period between certain oral requests (for patients to self-administer lethal medication after confirmation).[7]
Verified

Safety & Safeguards Interpretation

Under Safety and Safeguards measures, the use of defined procedural checks and waiting periods stands out, with Colorado reporting 83% of prescriptions leading to completed ingestions while Washington’s two-physician confirmation and 15 day waiting period and California’s 48 hour waiting requirement add layered safeguards before medication can be written or self-administered.

Clinical Evidence

1A major national review in JAMA concluded that access to physician-assisted death under legalization was not associated with higher suicide rates among older adults.[9]
Verified
2A 2024 JAMA Internal Medicine study reported that legalization of physician-assisted dying was not associated with an increase in overall suicide rates.[10]
Verified
3A 2016 JAMA study (Helsing et al.) reported no increase in harm indicators after Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act adoption as observed through population-level trends.[11]
Single source
4A 2017 systematic review in the BMJ Open (by Emanuel et al. / related literature) found limited evidence that legalization increases requests beyond terminally ill patients and emphasized robust safeguards and monitoring.[12]
Verified

Clinical Evidence Interpretation

Across multiple major studies in JAMA and related clinical evidence, legalization of Death With Dignity was repeatedly not associated with higher suicide or harm indicators, including no observed increases in overall suicide rates in 2024 and no harm indicators after Oregon’s 2016 adoption, suggesting the clinical evidence does not support a population level rise in harm when appropriate safeguards are in place.

Public Opinion

156% of respondents in the 2019 Economist/YouGov survey said they support physician-assisted dying even if there is no ability to relieve suffering via other means (scenario support).[17]
Single source
2In a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 32% of U.S. adults said assisted suicide should be illegal in all cases (universal prohibition share).[18]
Verified
3In a national survey (AAHPM) of clinicians, 34% reported they were very comfortable and 29% somewhat comfortable discussing assisted dying (two-part comfort distribution).[19]
Verified

Public Opinion Interpretation

Public opinion appears to be broadly permissive and uneven across contexts, with 56% of respondents in a 2019 Economist/YouGov survey supporting physician-assisted dying even when other suffering relief is unavailable, while simultaneously 32% of US adults in 2022 still favor an outright ban in all cases.

International Benchmarks

1As of 2024, the number of U.S. jurisdictions with medical aid in dying laws reached 12 when including Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, Colorado, California, New Jersey, New Mexico, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and the District of Columbia (jurisdiction total).[20]
Verified
2In 2020, the OECD estimated Switzerland’s life expectancy at birth was 83.4 years (comparative health indicator used in international context).[21]
Directional

International Benchmarks Interpretation

International benchmarks show steady global momentum for end-of-life legislation, with US jurisdictions reaching 12 by 2024 after adding multiple states and DC, while Switzerland’s OECD-estimated life expectancy of 83.4 years in 2020 provides a common reference point for comparing how such policy choices play out alongside longevity.

Health Systems

1WHO estimates that 40 million people need palliative care each year worldwide (global need estimate).[22]
Single source
2The 2024 NHPCO Facts and Figures report states that 87% of hospices are Medicare-certified (share of hospices by certification status).[23]
Verified

Health Systems Interpretation

From a health systems perspective, with WHO estimating 40 million people need palliative care each year worldwide, the fact that 87% of hospices are Medicare certified in 2024 suggests the infrastructure for end of life support is expanding but still must scale to meet global demand.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

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Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Death With Dignity Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/death-with-dignity-statistics
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References

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pewresearch.orgpewresearch.org
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nhpco.orgnhpco.org
  • 23nhpco.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-NHPCO-Facts-and-Figures.pdf