France debates assisted‑dying law amid claims of poor overuse

The French National Assembly is set to vote on a bill legalising assisted dying on 30 June 2026. Opponents, mainly from the right, argue that the measure could disproportionately affect low‑income individuals, citing a drop in private‑insurance coverage among Oregon’s assisted‑death beneficiaries as evidence.

Studies from jurisdictions where assisted dying is already legal – the United States (Oregon), Canada, Switzerland and Belgium – contradict that claim. Researchers found that more than 70 % of users were highly educated, white, elderly cancer patients, and fewer than one in ten cited financial hardship as a motive. In Canada a 2025 federal report similarly concluded that recipients do not come from disadvantaged communities. The consensus is that accessing assisted dying requires considerable cultural and social capital, which tends to be greater among higher‑income, well‑educated groups.

Experts therefore say the fear of a disproportionate impact on the poor is unsupported by empirical evidence, suggesting the opposite: the practice is currently more accessible to the privileged.