Medical Assistance in Dying has been legal in Canada for a decade. New federal data outlines the scope of this end-of-life framework since its 2016 inception.
Between legalization and December 31, 2024, 76,475 Canadians received medical assistance in dying. This figure now represents five percent of all deaths nationwide. In 2024 alone, 16,499 individuals accessed the service.
Cancer remains the predominant underlying condition, accounting for 10,035 cases last year. The median age of recipients is 77.9 years. Most patients fall under Track 1 criteria where death is reasonably foreseeable. However, 732 recipients in 2024 qualified under Track 2 provisions for intolerable suffering without imminent death.
The system maintains strict safeguards. Practitioners rejected 1,327 requests as ineligible in 2024. Another 68 individuals withdrew consent immediately prior to the procedure. Despite high utilization, access barriers persist; over 4,000 eligible patients died before receiving assistance last year.
Policy expansion remains contentious. Federal plans to extend eligibility to those with mental illness as their sole underlying condition have faced repeated delays. The government currently targets 2027 for implementation amid ongoing debate regarding clinical safeguards and societal readiness.