In 2022, the average age of people assisted by the German-speaking branch was 79.6 years, an increase of 1.4 years from 2021. As in previous years, women made up about 60% of cases, says the organisation.
Most people who used EXIT were suffering from terminal cancer. This was the case of 413 people, or 37% of the total. EXIT says it also helped 320 very elderly people with multiple infirmities end their lives, and several people with disorders causing chronic pain.
Most of these seriously ill were able to die as they wished in their own homes. This was the case for 76% of EXIT-supported assisted suicides in 2022, while the number in nursing and retirement homes accounted for 18.6% percent.
Over the past 12 months more than 17,300 people have joined the non-profit association, which had more than 154,000 members in the German-speaking cantons and Ticino at the end of the year. ADMD in French-speaking Switzerland has some 30,000 members.
EXIT puts the increasing need for assisted suicide down to the aging of society, which results in illnesses or disabilities that seriously affect the quality of life.
Swiss law tolerates assisted suicide when patients commit the act themselves and helpers have no vested interest in their death. Assisted suicide has been legal in the country since the 1940s.
Overall, assisted suicides remain rare in Switzerland, accounting for just over 1.5% of deaths.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
This content was published on
Swiss right-to-die organisations are politically and legally active abroad in a drive to legalise assisted suicide worldwide.
This content was published on
A 104-year-old Australian scientist who ended his life in Switzerland on Thursday explained on the eve of his assisted suicide why choosing how and when to die should be a right.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.