Canada's MAID Program Nears 100,000 Deaths by 2025

Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program is on track to reach 100,000 deaths by the end of 2025, marking a significant milestone as the initiative approaches its 10th anniversary on June 17, 2026. Launched in 2016, the program allows eligible adults to request physician-assisted death and has seen steady growth in participation since its inception.

Government data indicates that 76,475 Canadians had died through MAID as of the end of 2024, with 15,767 cases recorded that year alone. This figure represents about 5.1 percent of all deaths in Canada during 2024, equating to roughly 45 procedures per day. For comparison, the number exceeds the 42,042 Canadian combat deaths during World War II and surpasses the approximately 2,000 shelter dogs euthanized in the country that year.

The program began as an option primarily for those with terminal illnesses but expanded under Bill C-7 in 2021 to include individuals with grievous and irremediable conditions, even if not at imminent risk of death. Plans to further extend eligibility to those suffering solely from mental illnesses were delayed until 2027 following concerns from medical professionals, provinces, and advocacy groups.