# California assisted suicides rise by almost 150 per cent in five years

**By:** The Catholic Herald  
**Published:** 2026-08-23T07:00:00.000Z  
**Source:** [The Catholic Herald](https://thecatholicherald.com/article/california-assisted-suicides-rise-by-almost-150-per-cent-in-five-years)

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California recorded 1,235 assisted suicide deaths in 2025, with official figures also showing uncertainty over complications and drug ingestion in a number of cases

California has experienced the highest number of yearly assisted suicides on record, with a total of 1,235 deaths in 2025, a 149.49% increase over five years.
Released this week, the California End of Life Option Act 2025 Data Report shows a 10.96% increase in total deaths from assisted suicide compared with the previous year, when there were 1,113 assisted suicides. There was an almost 150% increase in assisted suicides in California in 2025 compared with 2020, when there were 495 assisted suicides.