Senior Australians' views on voluntary assisted dying

Between 2019 and 2022 all states in Australia passed legislation enabling people with a terminal disease to access voluntary assisted dying (VAD) provisions. But in 2021 debates were still taking place around the country, with VAD laws only in effect in Victoria at the time. The context of this national debate prompted the National Seniors research team to ask older Australians to share their views about VAD in our annual National Seniors Social Survey. This report shares the results, showing strong numerical support for VAD access, including for people who have a serious non-terminal illness. The report also offers a typology of reasons behind older people’s diverse views on the issue.