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31 Malaga province residents have requested euthanasia in just three and a half years. SUR Health More than 30 people receive euthanasia in Malaga province since law approvalPatients with neurodegenerative conditions most likely to claim right to assisted dying ·
Friday, 27 March 2026, 11:45 | Updated 11:51h.
Noelia Castillo, who had applied for euthanasia under Spanish law, died on Thursday, at the age of 25. The young woman from Barcelona had fought long and hard to claim the right to euthanasia, after having lived for years with persistent chronic pain and in a wheelchair.
Noelia had had a difficult childhood and had suffered a group sexual assault, which ultimately led to her jumping from the fifth floor of a building.
Euthanasia in Malaga: 31 patients receive assisted dying since law approvalHer case has reignited the debate in Spanish society on the practical application of the right to die.
From the approval of the euthanasia law on 25 June 2021 until the end of 2024 (the latest data available), 31 people in Malaga province have received euthanasia. The first of them was a man with ALS, who died in March 2022.
At 31, Malaga is the province with the most euthanasias, followed by Seville, with 14, and Granada, with ten, since the approval of the law.
By province, Malaga has the highest number of euthanasias performed so far, followed by Seville (14), Granada (ten), Cadiz (nine), Almeria (six), Huelva (six), Cordoba (three) and Jaén (two).
In Andalucía as a whole, 209 people have requested euthanasia, of which 81 have received it. A total of 142 applications have been processed and 67 applications have not.
In 2024, 15 Malaga residents received euthanasia authorisation, but 23 had applied.
Common reasons to request euthanasia
The three main groups of diseases or chronic conditions that lead to assisted dying requests are neurodegenerative processes, followed by oncological diseases and complex multi-pathological/chronic conditions. According to the regional government, most requests originate in primary care due to its proximity to the patient, their family and their home.
In 2024 alone, the number of services in which organ donations were made was five, which has resulted in the donation of 18 organs.
To be eligible for the benefit, the person must be Spanish; have legal residence or a certificate of registration that proves a period of stay exceeding 12 months; have written proof of their medical condition; have made two voluntary applications in writing or by other means that allows for a record to be kept; and give informed consent prior to the effective benefit.
Petition
A person can apply if either of these two situations applies: a serious or incurable illness, understood as one that by its nature causes constant and unbearable physical or psychological suffering without any possibility of relief that the person considers tolerable, with a limited life expectancy and progressive frailty; or a serious, chronic or disabling condition, limitations that directly affect physical autonomy and activities of daily living, preventing the person from being self-sufficient, as well as the capacity for expression and interaction, associated with constant and intolerable physical or psychological suffering.
There must be certainty that such limitations will persist over time, without the possibility of a cure or improvement.
The request must be made in writing and in the presence of a healthcare professional. It must be reiterated within 15 days.
The request must be made in writing, dated and signed by the patient or by other means that clearly demonstrate their wishes, in the presence of a healthcare professional who also signs it and adds it to the patient's medical record.
The request must be reiterated two weeks later. In both cases, there must be a discussion with the attending physician regarding the decision to continue or withdraw the request. If the patient wishes to continue, the attending physician speaks to a consultant, who must confirm compliance with all the conditions stipulated by law.
The decision can be postponed
The attending physician then informs a regional commission, which verifies that the established requirements and conditions are met, issues a final decision and sends a report to the attending physician. The committee comprises physicians, nurses and legal experts.
The decision may be postponed or revoked at any time.
The process involves the attending physician and the consultant, as well as the medical and legal professionals in the commission. The service can be provided either at healthcare facilities or at the patient's home.