10 Years of Euthanasia in Canada: 27 Deaths a Day… 10,000 a Year. And Now They’re Targeting the Mentally Ill

(ZENIT News / Otawwa, 06.22.2026).- Ten years after Canada legalized what it calls Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), the country finds itself at the center of one of the most consequential ethical debates of the modern era. What began in 2016 as a tightly regulated response to end-of-life suffering has evolved into one of the world’s largest assisted-death systems, prompting both praise from supporters and growing alarm from religious leaders, disability advocates, and pro-life organizations.

The anniversary, marked on June 17, comes amid sobering statistics. Since assisted suicide and euthanasia became available nationwide following a 2015 Supreme Court ruling and subsequent legislation, more than 100,000 Canadians have died through MAID. Government data show that 16,499 people used the program in 2024 alone, while some estimates place the 2025 total close to 18,000 deaths—roughly one out of every twenty deaths in the country.

The growth has been remarkable. Between 2019 and 2022, annual MAID deaths increased by more than 30 percent each year. Although the pace of growth has slowed in recent years, the overall number continues to rise, making Canada the country with the highest volume of assisted-death cases worldwide.

Criticism of the system has intensified as eligibility criteria have expanded. Initially, access was largely limited to individuals whose natural death was considered reasonably foreseeable. Legislative changes introduced in 2021 broadened eligibility to include people whose deaths are not imminent but whose conditions are deemed grave and irremediable.

The next frontier in the debate concerns mental illness. Canada has postponed until 2027 a proposed expansion that would allow access to MAID when mental illness is the sole underlying condition. The proposal has generated concern not only among religious groups but also among disability-rights organizations and international bodies.

In 2025, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities urged Canada not to proceed with the expansion. Inclusion Canada, one of the country’s leading disability advocacy organizations, has likewise argued that extending assisted death to individuals with mental illnesses would place vulnerable citizens at greater risk.

The concerns are not merely theoretical. Critics point to reports of procedural failures and oversight weaknesses. A 2024 study found that Ontario regulators had identified more than 400 violations or irregularities related to MAID procedures since 2018, including eligibility and reporting issues, without resulting prosecutions. Even the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, which helped advance the original legalization effort, has called for stronger safeguards.

Stories emerging from the healthcare system have further fueled public unease. Recent reports included the case of a Catholic priest recovering from a hip fracture who was allegedly offered assisted death twice during his treatment, reigniting questions about whether vulnerable patients are always being presented with life-affirming alternatives before euthanasia is discussed.

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