Canada killed a record 16,499 people through physician-assisted suicide in 2024, according to new data from the government.
The Canadian government released its Sixth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying in November. The report shows euthanasia and assisted suicide are on the rise in Canada and now account for roughly one in twenty deaths in the country.
All told, more than 76,000 people have died through Canada’s euthanasia program since the country legalized assisted suicide in 2016.
The numbers reveal a troubling trend that should serve as a warning to Arkansas and other states.
Canada operates two different “tracks” for assisted suicide. Track 1 lets doctors kill patients whose natural death is “reasonably foreseeable” — meaning they are terminally ill. But Track 2 allows euthanasia for people who are not dying at all.
Track 2 deaths increased by 17% in 2024, with 732 people killed even though they were not terminally ill. These victims tended to be younger, more likely to be women, and far more likely to be living with a disability.
The reasons people gave for choosing death are deeply concerning. The report shows that loneliness and isolation were factors in nearly 22% of Track 1 deaths and 45% of Track 2 deaths. That means at least 3,800 people were killed in Canada last year partly because they felt lonely.
Many of these patients needed counseling and support — not a prescription for deadly drugs.
Canada’s definition of who qualifies for assisted suicide is dangerously broad. Patients can be approved for euthanasia based on cancer, organ failure, or neurological conditions. But they can also be killed for diabetes, chronic pain, hearing problems, or even “feelings of loneliness.”
The situation is about to get worse. In 2027, Canada plans to expand assisted suicide to include people suffering solely from mental health conditions like anxiety or depression. One advocacy group is even pushing to make children under 18 eligible for euthanasia.
This is exactly the slippery slope that pro-life advocates have warned about for years.
We have seen similar problems in Oregon, which legalized physician-assisted suicide in 1998. Official state reports show that less than 1% of Oregon patients who received lethal prescriptions last year were referred for psychiatric evaluation. Most patients cited loss of autonomy and dignity as their primary reasons for asking about assisted suicide.
In parts of the U.S. where assisted suicide is legal, insurance companies have refused to pay for patients’ medical care but offered to cover the cost of suicide drugs instead. This robs patients of compassionate care and pushes them toward death.
And we have heard stories about patients in Europe and Canada being denied care or actively euthanized thanks to bad government policies.
Just like abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide are murder, and they violate the sanctity of human life.
Being pro-life means believing innocent human life is sacred from conception until natural death. That’s why Family Council has spent years opposing assisted suicide and euthanasia in Arkansas.
The tragedy unfolding in Canada shows us where this path leads. When society accepts the premise that some lives are not worth living, vulnerable people suffer the consequences. Instead of offering death as a solution, we should focus on providing better palliative care, mental health support, and compassionate assistance to those who are struggling.
Arkansas families, churches, and voters must continue to stand for the sanctity of human life and oppose any efforts to legalize assisted suicide in our state.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
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