Nearly 6,000 People Die Annually by Choosing to Stop Eating or Drinking
An estimated 5,800 people die each year in the Netherlands because they choose to stop eating and drinking, according to a study by Erasmus MC. This accounts for roughly 3.5 percent of all annual deaths, based on data from 2019 to 2023.
Another 2,000 individuals intentionally end their lives using lethal drugs or sleeping pills, particularly those aged 30 to 70. Many in this group had mental health issues, and some had previously attempted suicide. Physician-assisted euthanasia accounts for nearly 10,000 deaths annually, or 5.8 percent of all deaths, with a third of these cases involving individuals whose euthanasia requests were rejected, prompting them to stop eating or drinking.
Most people who choose to die themselves cite unbearable suffering as the reason. Researcher Fenne Bosma explains that many wish to take responsibility for the timing of their own death and often prefer not to involve a doctor due to personal or moral objections.
Legally, helping someone stop eating or drinking is not considered assisted suicide and is recorded as a natural death. Proper preparation and support from caregivers—sometimes including sleeping pills or morphine—are emphasized to ensure the process is as dignified as possible. The majority of these deaths occur in people over 80 who face serious physical complaints or terminal illnesses.
Some individuals use controlled substances, such as “drug X,” for self-chosen death. While use of the substance itself is not punishable, distribution is restricted under assisted suicide laws. Researchers note that media attention surrounding drug X has not led to a rise in its use, due to the difficulty of access and uncertainty about legal limits for helping loved ones.