The Iceland assisted dying survey used in the country’s end-of-life debate is being challenged by the leaders of the Icelandic Nurses’ Association and the Icelandic Medical Association, who argue that its results have been presented too broadly. The 2023 poll reported support from 86% of responding nurses and 56% of responding doctors, but the two organisations say the number of professionals who answered was too small to establish a general consensus.
Helga Rósa Másdóttir, president of the Icelandic Nurses’ Association (Félag íslenskra hjúkrunarfræðinga), and Steinunn Þórðardóttir, president of the Icelandic Medical Association (Læknafélag Íslands), raised the criticism in a joint opinion article published by Vísir on 11 July.
Why the Iceland assisted dying survey is disputed
The survey was commissioned by the Ministry of Health (Heilbrigðisráðuneytið) after the Icelandic parliament, Alþingi, requested an assessment of attitudes among healthcare workers, patient groups and the general public. A sample of 1,200 healthcare professionals was selected: 400 nurses, 400 doctors and 400 licensed practical nurses.
Across the three professions, 384 people responded, producing an overall response rate of 32%. However, the headline percentages for individual professions were calculated only among respondents who took a position on whether assisted dying should be legalised. This included 115 nurses and 133 doctors. Of those groups, 86% of nurses and 56% of doctors expressed some degree of support.
Másdóttir and Þórðardóttir argue that these figures represent about 3% of working nurses and 8% of working doctors in Iceland. They say the results may therefore reflect response bias, because professionals with stronger views could have been more likely to participate.
They also note that the Icelandic terminology surrounding assisted dying was not yet firmly established in healthcare practice when the poll was conducted. In their view, differences in how respondents understood the concept create another reason for caution.
Headline figures entered the political debate
The disputed percentages have since been cited in Alþingi. A parliamentary resolution proposed during the 2025–2026 session asks the health minister to prepare legislation permitting assisted dying and presents the survey as evidence that support among healthcare professionals has increased considerably.
The proposal also cites 81% support among responding licensed practical nurses, 84% among respondents belonging to participating patient organisations and 75.6% among the general public. The nurses’ and doctors’ associations are not claiming that the survey has no value. Their objection concerns the use of its results as proof that most members of their professions support legalisation.
“The conclusion that a majority of doctors and nurses support the legalisation of assisted dying does not rest on a solid foundation,” the two presidents wrote.
Professional bodies stress palliative care and safeguards
The two organisations also linked the methodological dispute to wider concerns about end-of-life policy. They said the rights of a small number of people should not create pressure on patients who are in vulnerable situations.
“No one should have to experience assisted dying as a normal option because society has not ensured adequate healthcare, palliative treatment or social support,” they wrote.
According to the two presidents, any consideration of legal change should be preceded by equal access to strong palliative and end-of-life care, clearer discussions about treatment goals and policy based on reliable evidence. They also called for closer examination of countries where assisted dying has already been legalised, including the effects on healthcare services and professional responsibilities.
The Icelandic Medical Association has separately stated its opposition to current proposals for legalisation and criticised the lack of consultation with doctors, whose role would be directly affected. Icelandic law does not currently provide for assisted dying, and the Ministry of Health’s 2023 report concluded that legislative changes would be necessary for it to become lawful.
A data dispute with consequences for Iceland’s end-of-life debate
The disagreement does not settle the question of how Icelandic healthcare workers view assisted dying. It instead highlights a narrower but politically important issue: whether limited survey responses can support claims about an entire profession.
As Alþingi continues to discuss possible legislation, the survey is likely to remain part of the debate. The intervention by the two professional associations means lawmakers will also face pressure to distinguish support among respondents from demonstrated support across Iceland’s healthcare workforce.
