iPhone XR contacts lost after deleting old email account, seeking reassurance on iCloud backup

Hi I have an Apple XR, I very recently Lost ALL of my CONTACTS….best I can surmise is it happened when a pop—up kept appearing for a very OLD email acct, that I haven’t had access to for well over 2 yrs!! Needless to say, I had finally had enough!! So I followed the promp and directions to “Delete” said acct!! My gut was saying l need to NOT do it and I hesitated, yet essentially I completed this task!

and then I LOST 15yrs of contacts/Surgeons names and/or dates and ‘contact’ persons that do scheduling ANYWAY, after over 2hrs on ph w/Apple….apparently the “contacts” were NOT being backed up to the cloud….??!! EVEN THOUGH ALL OF THE TOGGLES ARE ON ALWAYS!!!

moving forward (as I lick my wounds) I need to have confidence that the few that I have been able to research/ remember ARE being “BACKED UP “??!!

ps. I again, have and Apple XR and only ONE Apple acct

Ty for your time, effort and Expertise!! I appreciate any info to reassure me that this will not ‘re-tread’ in my life~

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: iCloud back up