Medically-assisted dying in Canada reached record high in 2023, about 1 in 20 deaths [Video]

Medically-assisted dying in Canada, which is legal in that country in some circumstances, reached a record high last year, accounting for about 1 in 20 deaths, government data shows. 

According to the data, released Wednesday by Health Canada, about 4.7% of Canadians who died in 2023 received MAID, or Medical Assistance in Dying.

This is a 15.8% increase compared to 2022, but overall the upward trend is slowing, according to the data. From 2019 to 2022, the average growth rate was 31%.

Health Canada defines MAID as a “health service that allows someone who is found to be eligible to receive assistance from a medical practitioner to end their life.”

To be eligible, individuals must fit a list of criteria, including being at least 18 years old, mentally competent and have a “grievous and irremediable medical condition.”

A majority of the 2023 cases, about 96%, involved individuals …