As Canada approaches the ten-year mark of legalized doctor-assisted death, the number of annual deaths appears to be plateauing, according to the federal government’s latest report on medical assistance in dying (MAID) .

A total of 16,499 people died by MAID in Canada in 2024. However, the year-over-year annual growth rate in deaths has been shrinking, from 36.8 per cent between 2019 and 2020, to 6.9 per cent between 2023 and 2024, according to Health Canada’s sixth annual report on MAID.

“While the data suggests that the number of annual MAID provisions is beginning to stabilize, it will take several more years before long-term trends can be conclusively identified,” according to the report.

In all, MAID deaths accounted for 5.1 per cent of all deaths in Canada last year, a small — 0

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