Advertisement
November 6, 2025
Share this article:
Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevent Coalition breaks down the statistics on the EPC estimated 90,000 MAiD deaths since euthanasia and assisted suicide were legalized in Canada 10 years ago.
There were around 16,500 Canadian euthanasia deaths in 2024 representing 5 per cent of all deaths. There have been around 90,000 Canadian euthanasia deaths since legalization.
On December 11, 2024, Canada's Ministry of Health released the Fifth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying which outlines the 2023 reported euthanasia data.
The 2023 report indicated that there were 15,343 reported Canadian euthanasia deaths representing 4.7 per cent of all deaths. The number of reported euthanasia deaths was up from 13,241 in 2022. I predict that there were around 16,500 Canadian euthanasia deaths representing 5 per cent of all deaths in 2024.
Recently, EPC obtained the 2024 British Columbia (BC) euthanasia data which indicated that there were 3000 reported euthanasia deaths in 2024 representing 6.7 per cent of all deaths, which was up by more than 8 per cent from 2,767 in 2023.
There are some clear concerns in BC.
Island Health is primarily composed of Vancouver Island with Victoria being the largest city. Island health cares for a little more than 1 out of 6 BC residents, and yet the BC data indicates that there were 904 reported euthanasia deaths in the Island Health region accounting for more than 30 per cent of the euthanasia deaths.
Euthanasia is supposedly popular in Victoria BC and there is a euthanasia clinic which provides access, but the data is more likely related to less stringent approvals for euthanasia in that region.
The BC Ministry of Health must assure the public that euthanasia guidelines are being followed by Island Health. Independent research into the reasons for the higher rate of euthanasia deaths must be done.
Another concern is that 35 per cent of the 2024 BC euthanasia deaths were approved based on "other conditions" which was up from 32.9 per cent in 2023.
The number of BC euthanasia deaths related to "other conditions" is further exasperated by the fact that (65.9 per cent) or 691 of the people who died by euthanasia based on "other conditions" that the approval was related to frailty.
Frailty is not defined in the report but it likely refers to an elderly person who is not dying but has comorbities. In other words, the term frailty can also encompass euthanasia for "completed life."
Euthanasia for "completed life" means that an elderly person is not sick or dying, but wants to die. "Completed Life" is being debated in the Netherlands, but in Canada, it has never been debated, but based on the lack of definition in the law, it is being done.
The BC Ministry of Health must assure the public that euthanasia is not inappropriately being done by conducting independent research into the reasons for the higher number euthanasia deaths related to "frailty."
Based on the 2024 data from Ontario, Québec, Alberta, and BC. I predict that there were approximately 16,500 Canadian euthanasia deaths in 2024 representing 5 per cent of all deaths.
The 16,500 euthanasia death prediction for 2024 is based on data. By comparing the 2023 reported euthanasia deaths to the 2024 data you notice that:
Since Ontario, Québec, Alberta and BC represent 87 per cent of Canada's population, and since there were 1056 more euthanasia deaths in those provinces in 2024, and since there were 15,343 reported euthanasia deaths in 2023, therefore it is safe to predict that there were around 16,500 reported euthanasia deaths in 2024. There was a 7.5 per cent increase in euthanasia deaths in Ontario, Québec, Alberta and British Columbia in 2024.
As of December 31, 2023, there were 60,301 reported euthanasia deaths in Canada since legalization. I am predicting that there were approximately 16,500 reported euthanasia deaths in 2024. Therefore, as of December 31, 2024 there were around 76,800 reported euthanasia deaths since legalization. Since this article is published in fall 2025, it is likely there have been around 90,000 Canadian euthanasia deaths since legalization.
Sadly, the number of reported euthanasia deaths continues to increase. From January 1 to June 30, 2025; there were 2551 reported euthanasia deaths in Ontario representing a 4 per cent increase since 2024.
Share this article:
Join the conversation and have your say: submit a letter to the Editor. Letters should be brief and must include full name, address and phone number (street and phone number will not be published). Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
OSV News photo/Emily Elconin, Reuters
