Canada's assisted dying program becomes the nation's fifth leading cause of death
Medical assistance in dying now accounts for about 5% of all Canadian deaths, making it the fifth-largest cause of mortality in the country.
The Canadian assisted-suicide scheme, known as MAID, has risen to become the fifth-leading cause of death, responsible for roughly one in twenty fatalities. This growth makes it the fastest-expanding assisted-dying program worldwide. In 2024, the number of deaths from MAID in Canada exceeded the total gun homicide deaths recorded in the United States that year. The trend reflects a rapid increase in the use of the policy since its introduction.
Why it matters
The rise of assisted suicide as a major cause of death raises profound ethical, medical, and policy questions for Canadians and other nations.
In this story
