Quebec’s latest report reveals 6,268 assisted deaths in 2024-25, ~8% of all provincial deaths—highest worldwide—sparking fears over rushed procedures and pressure on disabled patients.
Newsroom (21/11/2025 Gaudium Press) Quebec has solidified its position as the jurisdiction with the highest rate of deaths by medical assistance in dying (MAiD), according to the province’s Commission on End-of-Life Care annual report for April 2024 to March 2025, released October 30.
The document details 6,268 physician-administered assisted deaths, accounting for approximately 7.4-7.9% of all deaths in the province during the period—a figure that surpasses rates in long-standing euthanasia jurisdictions such as the Netherlands (around 5.4% in recent comparisons) and Belgium (about 3.1%).
Since Quebec pioneered provincial euthanasia legislation in 2015—a year before Canada’s federal framework—the practice has grown steadily, with MAiD now representing a significant portion of end-of-life outcomes.
Critics point to weakening safeguards. The commission identified 19 cases of non-compliance where legal criteria were not met, including instances of administration without full consent. Additionally, 4% of procedures occurred on the same day or the day after a patient’s formal request, raising questions about adequate reflection time.
Motivations cited by recipients underscore broader societal issues: over half referenced feeling like a burden on family or caregivers, while 24% mentioned loneliness or isolation. Advocacy groups argue these reflect failures in social support and palliative care rather than irreversible terminal suffering.
“Instead of facilitating death, we need to address these root causes through better care,” said representatives from Living with Dignity (Vivre dans la Dignité), a Quebec-based NGO promoting life protection in aging and disability. The group accused authorities of prioritizing MAiD promotion over expanding palliative options, which remain unevenly accessible despite legal mandates.
The report comes as Quebec, Canada’s most Catholic province historically, grapples with cultural shifts. Some observers note irony in the region’s high MAiD uptake amid its religious heritage.
Particular alarm has focused on impacts to people with disabilities. Krista Carr, executive vice-president of Inclusion Canada, testified to parliamentary committees that disabled individuals increasingly fear seeking routine medical care, as MAiD is sometimes proposed for non-terminal conditions deemed “intolerable suffering”—often tied to inadequate supports like housing or poverty relief.
“People with disabilities are often advised to consider MAiD when they are not dying,” Carr has stated, highlighting cases where systemic barriers, not illness alone, drive requests.
Proponents of MAiD maintain it upholds autonomy, with the commission reporting high compliance overall. Yet the rapid escalation—far outpacing growth in Belgium or the Netherlands—has fueled international scrutiny and domestic calls for paused expansions, including advance requests now permitted in Quebec despite federal restrictions.
As MAiD approaches its 10th anniversary in the province, stakeholders urge renewed investment in palliative and disability supports to ensure death is a true last resort, not a substitute for care.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Infocatholica
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