Fact · health · 2026-10-15
Euthanasia is illegal in Hong Kong
安樂死在香港屬違法
Figure and reference date
A criminal offence, treated as manslaughter or murder
屬刑事罪行，可誤殺或謀殺罪處理
Notes and definition
Under Hong Kong law, both active euthanasia and assisted suicide are criminal offences, chargeable as manslaughter, murder or aiding and abetting suicide. There is no legal process for legalised euthanasia. A patient's right to refuse or withdraw life-sustaining treatment is a separate matter from euthanasia.
Other figures in this group (health)
Figures in the same group are not necessarily additive — check the basis note above first. Health.
| Item / 項目 | Figure / 數字 | As of / 時點 | Source / 來源 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&E attendance fee (official schedule) 急症室收費（官方收費表） | See the Hospital Authority’s fees page 見醫管局「醫療收費」頁 Public hospital charges are published by the Hospital Authority with waiver mechanisms and an annual fee cap; the amount is not stated here. | 2026-09 | Fees and Charges |
| Expectation of life at birth (male) 出生時平均預期壽命（男性） | 83.3 years (provisional) 83.3 年（臨時數字） | 2025 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
| Expectation of life at birth (female) 出生時平均預期壽命（女性） | 88.7 years (provisional) 88.7 年（臨時數字） | 2025 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
| Registered deaths from malignant neoplasms 惡性腫瘤登記死亡 | 15,075 (rate 200.4 per 100,000) 15 075 人（每十萬人 200.4） | 2025 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
| Registered deaths from pneumonia 肺炎登記死亡 | 11,395 (rate 151.4 per 100,000) 11 395 人（每十萬人 151.4） | 2025 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
| Registered deaths from diseases of the heart 心臟病登記死亡 | 6,594 (rate 87.6 per 100,000) 6 594 人（每十萬人 87.6） | 2025 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
| Infant mortality rate 嬰兒死亡率 | 1.7 per 1,000 registered live births 每千名登記活產嬰兒 1.7 人 Latest complete year in the 2026 booklet is 2024, not 2025. | 2024 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
| Registered doctors 註冊醫生 | 16,905 16 905 Hong Kong in Figures states that the count covers doctors with full registration on the resident and non-resident lists only; doctors registered under limited registration for employment promulgated by the Medical Council (for example research or teaching posts at universities, or practice at exempted clinics) are excluded. | 2025-12 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
| Registered nurses 註冊護士 | 74,767 74 767 | 2025-12 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
| Hospital beds (HA, private and correctional) 病床（醫管局、私家醫院及懲教院所） | 37,142 (4.9 per 1,000; rate provisional) 37 142（每千人 4.9，比率為臨時數字） Includes all beds in Hospital Authority, private and correctional institution hospitals. From 2019, private hospital beds include inpatient and day beds. | 2025-12 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
| Hospital beds (OECD definition) 病床（經合組織定義） | 32,725 (4.4 per 1,000; rate provisional) 32 725（每千人 4.4，比率為臨時數字） HA and private hospital beds only, excluding A&E observation, day and nursery beds. | 2025-12 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
| Registered Chinese medicine practitioners 註冊中醫 | 8,797 8 797 | 2025-12 | Hong Kong in Figures, 2026 Edition |
36 more figures in this group are listed in Health.
Verified questions that cite this figure
Is euthanasia legal in Hong Kong?
Euthanasia is not legal in Hong Kong. Under current law, both active euthanasia and assisted suicide are criminal offences, chargeable as manslaughter, murder or aiding and abetting suicide. There is no statutory process for legalised euthanasia.
（已核對問題頁目前只有中文版；上面嘅英文標題同答案本身係資料檔嘅官方英文欄位。）
How to cite this figure
Hong Kong Story, “Euthanasia is illegal in Hong Kong”, https://hongkongstory.org/en/facts/euthanasia-illegal, data as at 2026-10-15 (retrieved ＿).
中文：香港紀事館，〈安樂死在香港屬違法〉，https://hongkongstory.org/facts/euthanasia-illegal，資料時點 2026-10-15（查閱日期 ＿）。
Machine-readable: /api/v1/facts.json (id = euthanasia-illegal) · OpenAPI 3.1 ·/llms.txt
Registered source
Department of Health: Euthanasia is illegal in Hong Kong
Department of Health, HKSAR Government
The official document carries no registered publication date, so only the retrieval date 2026-10-15 is given — no publication year is invented.
This site is a secondary compilation: the official text prevails. If the figure above differs from the official document, the official document is correct.