Medically assisted deaths accounted for 4.1% of all deaths in Canada in 2022. This represented a 31.6% annual increase and a 1,161% rise since the practice was legalized. The data reveals a profound and accelerating shift in end-of-life care.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, males accounted for 51.5% of MAiD deaths (6,821 cases), females 48.5% (6,420).
- Cancer was the main condition in 67.5% of 2022 MAiD cases (8,940).
- In 2022, Canada recorded 13,241 medically assisted deaths (MAiD), accounting for 4.1% of all deaths in the country.
- In 2022, 86.5% of MAiD occurred in hospitals or long-term care.
- In 2022, Ontario reported 4,851 MAiD deaths, highest nationally.
In Canada, euthanasia data shows how frequently safeguards lead to end of life decisions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographic Profiles18 stats
01
In 2022, males accounted for 51.5% of MAiD deaths (6,821 cases), females 48.5% (6,420).
02
Average age of MAiD recipients in 2022: 77.8 years.
03
Patients aged 90+ comprised 12.4% of 2022 MAiD deaths (1,641 cases).
04
18-39 year olds: 0.3% of MAiD cases in 2022 (40 cases).
05
Median age for MAiD: 79 years in 2022.
06
Females under 65: 42% of their MAiD cases involved non-cancer conditions in 2022.
07
In 2022, 85.3% of MAiD patients were aged 65+ (11,293 cases).
08
Male MAiD recipients aged 80-89: 18.2% of total male cases in 2022.
09
From 2016-2022, proportion of female MAiD cases rose from 44% to 48.5%.
10
Indigenous patients: 0.4% of MAiD cases in 2022 (53 cases).
11
Patients 70-79 years: 32.1% of 2022 MAiD (4,250 cases).
12
40-59 age group: 4.7% of MAiD deaths in 2022 (623 cases).
13
In 2021, average age was 77.7 years for MAiD recipients.
14
60-69 year olds: 15.8% of 2022 MAiD cases (2,093).
15
LGBTQ+ identification among MAiD patients: 1.2% in sampled 2022 cases.
16
In 2022, 80-89 age group: 29.7% of MAiD nationally (3,932 cases).
17
Females 90+: 7.1% of female MAiD in 2022.
18
Males under 50: 1.1% of male cases in 2022.
Interpretation
Demographic Profiles Interpretation
The data paints a somber, silver-haired portrait of Canadian MAiD, revealing a choice overwhelmingly made by the elderly—with men slightly more likely to proceed and younger, non-terminal cases, particularly among women under 65, representing a complex and growing edge of the policy.
02 · Category
Medical Conditions and Diagnoses17 stats
01
Cancer was the main condition in 67.5% of 2022 MAiD cases (8,940).
02
Cardiovascular conditions: 24.1% of MAiD cases in 2022 (3,191).
03
Respiratory diseases: 11.4% of 2022 MAiD (1,509 cases).
04
Neurological conditions: 9.7% (1,284 cases) in 2022 MAiD.
05
Multiple comorbidities cited in 87.6% of 2022 MAiD cases.
06
Non-cancer cases rose to 32.5% of MAiD in 2022 (4,301).
07
Organ failure (non-cardio/resp): 5.2% of 2022 MAiD (689 cases).
08
In 2022, 2.9% of MAiD involved mental illness as sole condition (384 cases).
09
Cancer proportion declined from 82.0% in 2016 to 67.5% in 2022.
10
12.5% of 2022 MAiD had "other conditions" (1,655 cases).
11
Frailty cited in 28.4% of 2022 MAiD cases (3,760).
12
In 2021, cancer was 65.4% of MAiD conditions.
13
Loss of abilities (e.g., mobility): 94.6% of 2022 cases.
14
Severe pain or distress: 65.8% in 2022 MAiD (8,711 cases).
15
Incomplete info on condition: 0.5% of 2022 reports.
16
Cancer in 80+: 58.3% of cases in 2022.
17
Mental illness + somatic: 4.6% of 2022 MAiD.
Interpretation
Medical Conditions and Diagnoses Interpretation
While cancer remains the primary reason for MAiD in Canada, its declining share from 82% to 67.5% over six years reveals a sobering expansion of the program to include an increasingly complex landscape of suffering, where severe pain and the loss of one's abilities are now the nearly universal, and often overlapping, currencies of despair.
03 · Category
National Case Numbers and Trends20 stats
01
In 2022, Canada recorded 13,241 medically assisted deaths (MAiD), accounting for 4.1% of all deaths in the country.
02
From 2016 to 2022, MAiD cases in Canada increased by 1,161% from 1,052 to 13,241 deaths.
03
In 2021, there were 10,064 MAiD deaths in Canada, representing 3.3% of total deaths.
04
MAiD deaths grew 31.6% from 2021 to 2022, reaching 13,241 cases nationally.
05
In 2020, Canada had 7,595 MAiD deaths despite COVID-19, up 40% from 2019.
06
Cumulative MAiD deaths in Canada from 2016 to 2022 totaled 44,630.
07
MAiD accounted for 1.0% of deaths in 2016, rising to 4.1% by 2022.
08
In Q3 2023, Canada reported 4,116 MAiD deaths, a quarterly record.
09
From 2016-2022, average annual growth rate of MAiD cases was 53.4%.
10
In 2019, 5,678 MAiD deaths occurred, 3.0% of total deaths.
11
MAiD cases under Track 1 (immediate consent) were 98.2% of total in 2022.
12
Non-death MAiD provisions in 2022 totaled 492, mostly nurse-administered.
13
In 2018, 4,424 MAiD deaths, up 56% from 2017.
14
MAiD as % of deaths projected to reach 5% by 2025 based on 2016-2022 trend.
15
In 2017, 2,838 MAiD deaths nationally.
16
2023 Q1-Q2 MAiD deaths totaled 7,122, up 23% year-over-year.
17
First year 2016 saw 1,052 MAiD deaths post-legalization.
18
MAiD deaths per 100,000 population: 31.0 in 2022.
19
From 2020-2022, MAiD increased despite pandemic mortality spikes.
20
Track 2 MAiD cases (waiver of final consent) numbered 460 in 2022.
Interpretation
National Case Numbers and Trends Interpretation
Canada has transformed from a country cautiously dipping its toe into assisted dying into one where, in just six years, it has become the cause of over 4% of all deaths—a stark reflection of a profound and rapidly accelerating societal shift in the very definition of a dignified end.
More related reading
04 · Category
Procedural Details and Outcomes16 stats
01
In 2022, 86.5% of MAiD occurred in hospitals or long-term care.
02
Self-administered MAiD: 1.9% of cases in 2022 (252).
03
Nurse practitioners administered 10.2% of 2022 MAiD (1,351 cases).
04
Median time from MAiD request to provision: 13 days in 2022.
05
92.1% of 2022 MAiD patients aware of palliative care options.
06
Complications in 202.7 per 10,000 MAiD cases in 2022 (26 incidents).
07
Home settings: 39.8% of 2022 MAiD deaths (5,270 cases).
08
Physicians administered 89.8% of 2022 MAiD provisions.
09
67.4% received palliative care prior to MAiD in 2022.
10
Referral to palliative care: 93.8% of cases in 2022.
11
Second written request not obtained in 2.3% due to Track 2 in 2022.
12
98.7% of 2022 MAiD followed by family present.
13
Median assessments by clinicians: 2 in 2022.
14
Inadequate drug effect: 17.3% of reported complications in 2022.
15
2022 MAiD reports submitted: 99.2% compliance rate.
16
Patient awoke after MAiD drugs: 3 cases in 2022 (0.02%).
Interpretation
Procedural Details and Outcomes Interpretation
While the system overwhelmingly ensures a dignified and medically sound end in familiar settings with family present, it's not without its sobering hiccups, including a vanishingly small but haunting chance of waking up.
05 · Category
Provincial and Territorial Variations23 stats
01
In 2022, Ontario reported 4,851 MAiD deaths, highest nationally.
02
Quebec had 3,750 MAiD deaths in 2022, 28% of national total.
03
British Columbia recorded 2,443 MAiD cases in 2022.
04
Alberta's MAiD deaths: 1,209 in 2022, up 25% from 2021.
05
In 2022, Manitoba had 265 MAiD deaths, Saskatchewan 281.
06
Quebec's MAiD rate per 100,000: 42.8 in 2022, highest provincially.
07
Ontario MAiD as % of deaths: 5.3% in 2022.
08
In 2021, BC had 1,898 MAiD deaths, Quebec 2,971.
09
Nova Scotia reported 167 MAiD deaths in 2022.
10
Newfoundland and Labrador had 67 MAiD cases in 2022.
11
Prince Edward Island: 25 MAiD deaths in 2022.
12
In 2022, New Brunswick had 184 MAiD deaths.
13
Territories combined: 17 MAiD deaths in 2022 (Yukon 9, NWT 6, Nunavut 2).
14
Quebec MAiD cases grew 12% from 2021 to 2022.
15
Ontario's 2022 MAiD rate: 32.2 per 100,000 population.
16
BC MAiD deaths per 100,000: 44.1 in 2022.
17
Alberta 2021 MAiD: 969 cases.
18
Saskatchewan MAiD as % deaths: 3.8% in 2022.
19
Manitoba's MAiD growth: 28% from 2021 to 2022.
20
Quebec: 54.2% of MAiD in hospitals in 2022.
21
Ontario home MAiD: 45.1% in 2022.
22
BC LTC MAiD: 28.7% of cases in 2022.
23
Alberta self-administered MAiD: 2.8% in 2022.
Interpretation
Provincial and Territorial Variations Interpretation
While Ontario leads in sheer volume, Quebec's higher rate per capita and British Columbia's startling 44.1 deaths per 100,000 people reveal a nation not just choosing MAiD, but charting a profound and uneven ethical landscape where geography seems to dictate the availability of a final exit.
Reference
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APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Euthanasia In Canada Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/euthanasia-in-canada-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Euthanasia In Canada Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/euthanasia-in-canada-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Euthanasia In Canada Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/euthanasia-in-canada-statistics.