Since medically-assisted suicide was legalised in June last year, 1,982 chose to end their lives either by lethal injection at hospital or at home, according to Health Canada.

Meanwhile, Canadian bishops have instructed their clergy to deny religious funerals for those who chose to end their lives in such a way.

The number of assisted deaths is set to rise but remain at less than two per cent of all deaths nationwide this year — ‘consistent with international experience’, the report added.