Dead bodies are going unclaimed in Ontario, and the numbers are climbing

Since 2019, there's been a 170 per cent increase in the number of dead people not being claimed by family, loved ones or organizations, according to Ontario's Office of the Chief Coroner, which has released its 2023 figures.

Dead bodies are going unclaimed in Ontario, and the numbers are climbing
A stock image of a coroner covering up a dead body with a white sheet in a hospital or morgue setting.

Since 2019, there's been a 170 per cent increase in the number of dead people not being claimed by family, loved ones or organizations, according to Ontario's Office of the Chief Coroner, which has released its 2023 figures.