A euthanasia case involving a terminally ill child in the Netherlands has reignited international discussion around assisted dying, following the country’s move to expand the rules for children under 12.
Assisted dying refers to circumstances in which a person with a terminal or incurable condition is able to end their life with medical involvement, often to avoid severe suffering in the final stages of illness.
The issue remains deeply divisive. Supporters argue it can offer people greater control, reduce pain, and allow for a more dignified death. Opponents, however, warn that such laws may create harmful assumptions about disability and quality of life, while also raising fears that vulnerable people could feel pressured into making the decision.
As more nations revise or introduce legislation in this area, the Dutch case has drawn fresh focus to how different countries define eligibility and safeguards.
The Dutch government has outlined the narrow conditions under which a child’s life can legally be ended.
“Termination of life is only allowed if a child is terminally ill and is suffering unbearably with no prospect of improvement,” the Dutch government said.
“This means the child is in constant, severe pain. And that there is no cure, and no reasonable alternative to relieve the child’s suffering, even through palliative care.
“In this situation, the doctor may decide, together with the parents, to terminate the child’s life. This decision is always made in consultation with the parents and, if possible, also with the child.”
Although the policy remains highly controversial, the Netherlands is not alone in allowing assisted dying or euthanasia in some form. Around the world, countries have adopted different legal models with varying restrictions.
Below is an overview of places where the practice is permitted, and the ways their laws differ.
In Australia, every state and the Australian Capital Territory now permit voluntary assisted dying. The Northern Territory has been working on legislation but, as of June 2026, it has not yet joined the rest of the country. In most Australian jurisdictions, patients must have an advanced and progressive illness and be expected to die within a defined timeframe, usually six months or 12 months in cases involving neurodegenerative disease.
Austria legalized assisted suicide in 2022 for adults who are terminally ill or living with a long-term, severely debilitating condition.
Belgium introduced its law in 2002, becoming one of the earliest countries to do so. It allows adults to seek euthanasia where suffering cannot be alleviated.
In Canada, medical assistance in dying covers people with a serious and incurable disease, illness, or disability, as well as those experiencing an advanced and irreversible decline in functioning.
Colombia updated its rules in 2022, allowing euthanasia for people with a terminal illness or a serious, incurable condition.
Cuba approved euthanasia in 2023 for patients with irreversible, chronic, and degenerative diseases.
In Ecuador, the Constitutional Court ruled in 2024 that doctors may help a patient die where that person has a serious or incurable illness.
Germany took a different route. The country does not have a nationwide euthanasia law, but its Constitutional Court has recognized a person’s right to a self-determined death, leaving assisted suicide permitted under narrow legal conditions.
Italy also followed a separate legal path. A 2019 ruling found that assisting a suicide is not necessarily a crime when the aim is to relieve intolerable suffering in tightly defined circumstances.
Luxembourg passed legislation in 2008 allowing people who are enduring unbearable suffering due to illness to request medical assistance to die.
The Netherlands first legalized assisted dying in 2001 for adults who are legally capable of consent. The framework has since expanded, and children aged 12 to 15 may request euthanasia with parental consent, while 16- and 17-year-olds can be involved with parents in the decision-making process. In 2024, the government also introduced a specific framework for terminally ill children aged 1 to 12 who are suffering unbearably with no prospect of improvement.
New Zealand passed the End of Life Choice Act in 2020, with the measure taking effect after public approval in a referendum.
Under that law, assisted dying is available to residents aged 18 or over who have a terminal illness, are in irreversible decline, are expected to die within six months, and are able to give consent.
Portugal passed a law on medically assisted death in 2023, but implementation has been delayed by constitutional and regulatory issues, so it is not yet broadly in force.
Spain legalized assisted dying in 2021.
Switzerland was the first country in the world to permit assisted dying, having allowed it as far back as 1942.
It is also unusual in that non-Swiss nationals can travel there to access assisted dying, making it a destination for people seeking the procedure from abroad.
In the United States, medical aid in dying is legal in 13 jurisdictions: Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Delaware, New York, and Washington, DC. Illinois has passed a law, but it is not yet in effect.
Oregon was the first to do so, allowing mentally competent adults with terminal illnesses to seek assisted dying, with other states later adopting broadly similar rules.