Canada's euthanasia deaths continue to rise.

Ontario and Alberta release their 2024 euthanasia data.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

On December 11, 2024, Canada's Ministry of Health released the Fifth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying which found that there were 15,343 reported euthanasia deaths representing 4.7% of all deaths in 2023. The number of Canadian euthanasia deaths was up from 13,241 in 2022 and 10,092 in 2021.

Based on the 2024 MAiD data from Ontario and Alberta I predict that there were approximately 16,600 Canadian euthanasia deaths in 2024.

How did I make my prediction?

The Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario released the December 2024 MAiD data which indicated that there were 4,957 reported euthanasia deaths in 2024 which is up from 4,641 in 2023 and 3,934 in 2022. Ontario represents almost 40% of Canada's population.

The data indicates that, as of December 31, 2024, there have been 23,333 Ontario euthanasia deaths since legalization. The City of Alliston had a population of 23,253 in 2021.

Alberta Health Services released their MAiD data indicating that there were 1,116 reported euthanasia deaths in 2024 which is up from 977 in 2023 and 836 in 2022. Alberta represents almost 12% of Canada's population.

Since there was an 8% increase in euthanasia deaths in Ontario and Alberta and since both provinces represent more than 50% of Canada's population and considering the fact that Québec has had the highest euthanasia rate of increases, I conservatively estimate that there were at least 16,600 euthanasia deaths in 2024.

The Chief Coroner of Ontario has attempted to institute greater oversight in Ontario. Greater oversight may have led to a slowing euthanasia growth rate.

In October 2024 the Chief Coroner of Ontario released the Ontario MAiD Death Review Committee report indicating that between 2018 and 2023 there were euthanasia deaths driven by homelessness, fear and isolation and that poor people are at risk of coercion and Canadians with disabilities are needlessly dying by euthanasia. The data from the report indicated that there were at least 428 non-compliant euthanasia deaths between 2018 and 2023 and 25% of the euthanasia providers violated the law.

 

The Ontario MAiD Death Review report has three parts (Part 3) (Part 2) (Part 1).

 

The Ontario (MAiD) euthanasia report shows that the number of reported MAiD deaths increased by approximately 7% in 2024.

Alberta had a 14% increase in euthanasia deaths in 2024, double Ontario's rate of increase.

We have hope that Alberta's euthanasia growth rate will slow down as Alberta considers changes to their rules for approving euthanasia.

On January 30, during an interview with the John Bachman Now show, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith indicated that her government plans to tighten the rules for approving Albertan's for euthanasia.

Alberta has had the case of the 27-year-old autistic woman, who was approved and scheduled to die by euthanasia on February 1, 2024 until her father challenged the euthanasia approval in court. There was also a case of a Calgary man who couldn't get experimental treatment for cluster headaches but could get approved for euthanasia.

Alberta's Justice Ministry held a consultation on changes to the application of euthanasia in their province. The final decision has not been released yet.

Similar to last year, the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition will be trying to obtain the provincial euthanasia data to provide insight into Canada's experience with killing.