1 in 20 Canadians Die by Euthanasia, According to Recently Revealed Report
Canada is one of only seven countries in the world where euthanasia is permitted, and in just a few short years, it has become arguably the most permissive of all. Legalized in 2016, deaths from euthanasia have increased year over year.
According to recently revealed 2023 statistics, Medical assistance in dying (MAID) now represents 1 out of every 20 passings.
In 2019, 5665 people were euthanized and subjected to state-sponsored suicide, and that number has increased every year—7611 deaths in 2020, 10,092 in 2021, 13,241 in 2022, and 15,343 in 2023.
Notably, in the province of Quebec, 7.2% of all deaths, or about one in every 14, are state-sanctioned, making it the third top cause of death after cancer and heart disease.
When MAID was first being debated in the country, Health Canada estimated that the rate of MAID death wouldn’t be more than 2%. It has since doubled that and shows no signs of stopping.
There have been several cases in Canada of people getting euthanized because of financial stress, including one woman who requested to die because she ‘simply cannot afford to keep on living.’ In a survey last month, 25% of Canadians said people should have access to euthanasia because of poverty or homelessness. According to the National Post:
Health Canada’s report reveals that 47.1 per cent of non-terminally ill Canadians who applied for MAID reported “isolation or loneliness” as one of the causes of their suffering.
This was significantly higher than the number of terminally ill applicants who said the same (21.1 per cent).
If that 47.1 per cent figure is roughly applied to the 622 Canadians who were approved for MAID despite not having a terminal illness (Health Canada calls them “track two applicants”) — that’s roughly 300 Canadians who cited “isolation or loneliness” as to why they should be allowed a premature death.
Canadian politicians are currently debating whether or not to extend access to euthanasia for children and the mentally ill.
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