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Illinois and New York recently joined 11 other states and the District of Columbia in allowing people with serious illnesses to end their lives with a doctor’s help. While most states still ban physician-assisted death, a majority of Americans see the practice as morally permissible or don’t consider it a moral issue, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

About six-in-ten Americans say that patients choosing to end their lives with the help of a doctor is either morally acceptable (34%) or not a moral issue (29%). Another 35% say it’s morally wrong, according to the survey, which was conducted in spring 2025.

Physician-assisted death is also sometimes called “medical aid in dying,” “doctor-assisted death” or “physician-assisted suicide.” (Refer to the terminology box for more details.)

About this research

This Pew Research Center analysis looks at Americans’ views of physician-assisted death as more states legalize the practice.

Why did we do this? 

The Center does high-quality research to inform the public, journalists and leaders. This analysis builds on a larger body of work that explores questions around morality, death and dying, and religion and politics in the United States.

Learn more about Pew Research Center. 

How did we do this? 

We surveyed 8,937 U.S. adults from May 5 to 11, 2025. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP). The survey represents the views of the full U.S. adult population. Read more about the ATP’s methodology.

Here are our survey questions, along with responses, and the survey methodology.

Terminology

Our survey asked respondents about the morality of “patients choosing to end their lives with the help of a doctor.” Throughout this analysis, we use “physician-assisted death” as shorthand. Terminology used to describe this issue is often politicized, so we tried to use as neutral a term as possible.

Language around this topic is also shifting. One common term, “physician-assisted suicide,” is now often used by groups who oppose the practice, including the American Medical Association.

Other health organizations don’t categorize the practice as suicide. The American Psychological Association (which officially takes a neutral stance) prefers the term “assisted dying,” while the American Association of Suicidology distinguishes the practice from suicide.

Modern-day advocates, meanwhile, often refer to “death with dignity” or “the right to die.”

Attitudes toward physician-assisted death vary by political party, as they do on most of the 15 behaviors we asked about in our surveys on moral issues.

About three-quarters of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents see physician-assisted death as morally acceptable (43%) or as a moral nonissue (33%). By comparison, only about half of Republicans and GOP leaners take those positions. Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to call the practice morally wrong (48% vs. 23%).

Physician-assisted death has been hotly debated in the United States since at least the 1990s, when Oregon passed the country’s first “Death with Dignity” bill. The practice aims to grant terminally ill patients more control over suffering at the end of life, though it has often raised questions around consent and eligibility. Some religious leaders also have condemned it as immoral or unethical.

Our latest survey data shows that most U.S. Jews (76%) and White nonevangelical Protestants (74%) see the practice as morally permissible, as do a majority of Catholics (59%), even though Catholic doctrine prohibits medical assistance in dying.

The vast majority of religiously unaffiliated adults, including 95% of atheists and 93% of agnostics, express no moral opposition to the practice.

On the other hand, 60% of White evangelical Protestants and 52% of Black Protestants say it’s morally wrong for patients to end their lives with medical aid.

In general, adults who are highly religious tend to take a stronger stance against medical assistance in dying. For example, Americans who say religion is very important in their lives (59%) are far more likely than those who say religion is personally not too important (14%) or not at all important (8%) to see physician-assisted death as morally wrong.

Note: Here are our survey questions, along with responses, and the survey methodology.

Rebecca Leppert is a writer/editor at Pew Research Center, focusing on religion.