, updated
Shocking data has revealed the staggering number of Canadians who chose to end their own lives using assisted suicide in 2023.
In its fifth annual report, Health Canada said they had received 19,660 Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID) requests last year out of which an all-time high of 15,343 were approved and completed.
Out of those rejected, 2,906 died before receiving MAID, 915 individuals were deemed ineligible and 496 individuals withdrew their request.
The federal agency noted that there had been a 15.8 percent increase in requests between 2022 and 2023.
However, the growth rate seen in 2023 is half of the average annual growth rate of 31 percent from 2019 to 2022.
The report stated that it cannot draw ‘reliable conclusions’ about whether the slower increase in demand indicates a ‘stabilization’ of the number of cases over the long term.
‘An increased awareness of MAID within the care …