In 2022, around 81,806 people died from opioid overdoses in the United States. This statistic presents the number of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. from 1999 to 2022.

From 1999 to 2022, the number of drug overdose deaths among U.S. females increased from 5,591 in 1999 to 32,127 in 2022. Globally, drug use is a general problem. As of 2021, there were an estimated 296 million global drug consumers and 39.5 million drug addicts.

Opioid use in the United States

Among many demographics, drug overdose deaths continue to rise in the United States. Opioids are the most commonly reported substance in drug-related deaths. The number of drug-related deaths in the U.S. due to opioids has dramatically increased since the early 2000s. In 2017, then-President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the opioid crisis in the United States. Since then, there have been joint efforts among various governmental departments to address the opioid crisis through education and outreach.

Substance use treatment

Substance abuse treatment is vital in reducing the number of drug overdose deaths in the United States. As of 2020, the state of California had the largest number of substance abuse treatment facilities . However, many states in the U.S. have less than 100 substance abuse treatment facilities.

Data on drug overdose death rates, by drug type and selected population characteristics. Please refer to the PDF or Excel version of this table in the HUS 2019 Data Finder (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/contents2019.htm) for critical information about measures, definitions, and changes over time.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, numerator data from annual public-use Mortality Files; denominator data from U.S. Census Bureau national population estimates; and Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Kochanek KD, Arias E, Tejada-Vera B. Deaths: Final data for 2018. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 69 no 13. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.2021. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/nvsr.htm. For more information on the National Vital Statistics System, see the corresponding Appendix entry at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-appendix-508.pdf.

In 2022, the death rate from opioid overdose was 25 per 100,000 population. Opioids are the main driver of overdose deaths in the United States. This statistic presents the death rate from opioid overdose in the U.S. from 1999 to 2022, per 100,000 population.

This data presents provisional counts for drug overdose deaths based on a current flow of mortality data in the National Vital Statistics System. Counts for the most recent final annual data are provided for comparison. National provisional counts include deaths occurring within the 50 states and the District of Columbia as of the date specified and may not include all deaths that occurred during a given time period. Provisional counts are often incomplete and causes of death may be pending investigation resulting in an underestimate relative to final counts. To address this, methods were developed to adjust provisional counts for reporting delays by generating a set of predicted provisional counts. Several data quality metrics, including the percent completeness in overall death reporting, percentage of deaths with cause of death pending further investigation, and the percentage of drug overdose deaths with specific drugs or drug classes reported are included to aid in interpretation of provisional data as these measures are related to the accuracy of provisional counts. Reporting of the specific drugs and drug classes involved in drug overdose deaths varies by jurisdiction, and comparisons of death rates involving specific drugs across selected jurisdictions should not be made. Provisional data presented will be updated on a monthly basis as additional records are received. For more information please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm

In 2022, around 73,838 people in the United States died from a drug overdose that involved fentanyl. This was the highest number of fentanyl overdose deaths ever recorded in the United States, and a significant increase from the number of deaths reported in 2019. Fentanyl overdoses are now the driving force behind the opioid epidemic, accounting for the majority of overdose deaths in the United States. What is fentanyl? Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid similar to morphine, but more powerful. It is a prescription drug but is also manufactured illegally and is sometimes mixed with other illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine, often without the user’s knowledge. The potency of fentanyl makes it very addictive and puts users at a high risk for overdose. Illegally manufactured fentanyl has become more prevalent in the United States in recent years, leading to a huge increase in drug overdose deaths. In 2022, the rate of drug overdose death involving fentanyl was 22.7 per 100,000 population, compared to a rate of just one per 100,000 population in the year 2013. Fentanyl overdoses by gender and race/ethnicity As of 2022, the rate of drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl in the United States is over two times higher among men than women. Rates of overdose death involving fentanyl were low for both men and women until around the year 2014 when they began to quickly increase, especially for men. In 2022, there were around 19,880 drug overdose deaths among women that involved fentanyl compared to 53,958 such deaths among men. At that time, the rate of fentanyl overdose deaths was highest among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Natives and lowest among non-Hispanic Asians. However, from the years 2014 to 2018, non-Hispanic whites had the highest fentanyl overdose death rates.

This data presents counts of provisional drug overdose deaths by selected drugs and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) public health regions, based on provisional mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System. This data is limited to drug overdose deaths with an underlying cause of death assigned to International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) code numbers X40-X44 (unintentional), X60-X64 (suicide), X85 (homicide), or Y10-Y14 (undetermined intent). Specific drugs were identified using methods for searching literal text from death certificates. The provisional data are based on a current flow of mortality data and include reported 12 month-ending provisional counts of drug overdose deaths by jurisdiction of occurrence and specified drug. Provisional drug overdose death counts presented on this page are for “12-month ending periods,” defined as the number of deaths occurring in the 12-month period ending in the month indicated. For example, the 12-month ending period in June 2022 would include deaths occurring from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. Evaluation of trends over time should compare estimates from year to year (June 2021 and June 2022), rather than month to month, to avoid overlapping time periods. It is important to note that the data represent counts of deaths, and not mortality ratios or rates, which are the standard measure used to compare groups, and therefore should not be used to determine populations at disproportionate risk of drug overdose death.

In 2022, the death rate from opioid poisoning in the United States was around 36.6 per 100,000 population among Black, non-Hispanics. This was a significant increase compared to the death rate reported in 1999. This statistic shows the death rate from drug poisonings involving opioids in the U.S. from 1999 to 2022, by race/ethnicity.

The interactive charts, created for 33N, displays trends in total, opioid, and prescription opioid overdose death rates for each of the 10 counties in the ARC planning area, the planing areas as a whole, and State of Georgia from 1999 to 2016. In Georgia in 2016, their were 996 overdose deaths caused by opioids, representing 68.8% of all drug overdose deaths in the state and a 61% increase since 2013. Of the overdose deaths statewide in 2016, 595 involved prescription opioids, a more than tenfold increase since 1999. The 10-county Atlanta metro region reports higher prescription opioid overdose rates in most years than the state as a whole, but has followed a similar trend to the state, with the problem of prescription opioid overdose deaths increasing over time. Since 1999 in the 10-county Atlanta metro region, the number of prescription opioid overdose deaths has increased at more than 5 times the rate of deaths overall, at 2.5 times the rate of overdose deaths, and at more than 1.5 times the rate of all opioid overdose deaths.Data Source:Georgia Department of Public Health (GA DPH), OASIS, Mortality/Morbidity Data, 1999-2016

In 2022, an estimated 67,974 white, non-Hispanic persons in the United States died from a drug overdose. Opioids are the main driver of overdose deaths in the United States. This statistic presents the number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. from 2013 to 2022, by race/ethnicity.

This indicator includes unintentional overdoses, homicides, and suicides from drug overdose. Death rate has been age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population. ICD-10 codes used to identify drug overdose related deaths are X40-X44, X60-X64, X85, and Y10-Y14.Drug overdose deaths have increased dramatically in the US over the past two decades. The first wave of deaths in the 1990s largely involved prescription opioids and was a consequence of increased prescribing of these drugs by medical providers. In the second wave that began in 2010, there was a rapid increase in the number of deaths involving heroin and, in the current wave that started in 2013, there has been a rise in the number of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, particularly illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which can be found in combination with heroin, counterfeit pills, cocaine, and other drugs. In Los Angeles County in recent years, the vast majority of all drug overdose deaths have involved fentanyl. Important inequities have been noted by sociodemographic characteristics, with low-income and Black individuals found to have the highest overdose death rates. Cities and communities can take an active role in preventing overdose deaths by promoting primary prevention and supporting evidence-based harm reduction and treatment strategies.For more information about the Community Health Profiles Data Initiative, please see the initiative homepage.

Source: Office of State Medical Examiners (OSME), Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) Note: Data are limited to opioid-involved accidental drug overdose deaths. Counts may not add to annual totals due to missing case information. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. Percentages are displayed as decimals. Prescription medications include prescription opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and benzodiazepines. Illicit drugs include substances such as heroin, illicit fentanyl, and cocaine.

View annual counts of Accidental or Undetermined overdose deaths for 2012 forward, including provisional estimates of annual counts of overdose deaths for recent years, as noted with an asterisk and the month the data was pulled.
NOTE: Finalized death records for overdose deaths are often delayed by 3-6 months. Counties labeled “no value” have data suppressed because the counts are between 1 and 9.
- Overdose Deaths are classified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD–10). Drug-poisoning deaths are identified using underlying cause-of-death codes X40–X44, and Y10–Y14, and include the following:
- R99 when the Injury Description indicates an overdose death.
- X49 when literal COD is Mixed or Combined or Multiple Substance Toxicity, as these are likely drug overdoses
- X47 when substance indicated is difluoroethane, alone or in combination with other drugs
- Source Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program*
* These data were supplied by the Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries specifically disclaims responsibility for any analyses, interpretations or conclusions.
- Estimates are broken down by type of drugs involved in the overdose
- Any Drug Overdose Death - all drug overdose deaths, regardless of type of drug involved, excluding alcohol only deaths
- Opioid Overdose Death - any overdose death involving opioids, prescription or illegal

In 2022, those aged between 35 and 44 years had the highest number of drug overdose deaths in the United States, with 27,583 deaths. Opioids are the main driver of overdose deaths in the United States. This statistic presents the number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. from 2013 to 2022, by age group.

A. SUMMARY This dataset includes data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on the number of preliminary unintentional fatal drug overdoses per month.

B. HOW THE DATASET IS CREATED The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner releases a monthly report containing the previous month’s preliminary count of unintentional fatal drug overdoses. This dataset is manually updated based on that report.

The San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) investigates any unknown cause of death for deaths that occur in San Francisco. OCME uses drug testing, death scene investigation, autopsy, medical record, and informant information to determine the cause of death. Preliminary determinations are generally based on drug testing and death scene investigations.

Preliminary deaths reported by the medical examiner consist of two categories: (a) cases that are still under investigation and involve suspected acute toxicity from opioids, cocaine, or methamphetamine; and (b) cases that have been finalized and were attributed to acute toxicity from any substance (including prescribed medication and over-the-counter medication).

C. UPDATE PROCESS This dataset is updated monthly following the release of the monthly accidental fatal drug overdose report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Department of Public Health staff manually copy data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s report to update this dataset.

D. HOW TO USE THIS DATASET This dataset is updated each month to include the most recent month’s preliminary accidental fatal drug overdose count. Counts from previous months are often also updated as it can take more than a month for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to finish reviewing cases.

E. RELATED DATASETS San Francisco Department of Public Health Substance Use Services Overdose-Related 911 Responses by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Unintentional Drug Overdose Death Rate by Race/Ethnicity

West Virginia is currently the state with the highest drug overdose death rate in the United States, with 91 deaths per 100,000 population in 2022. Although West Virginia had the highest drug overdose death rate at that time, California was the state where the most people died from drug overdose. In 2022, around 10,952 people in California died from a drug overdose. The main perpetrator Opioids account for the majority of all drug overdose deaths in the United States. Opioids include illegal drugs such as heroin, legal prescription drugs like oxycodone, and illicitly manufactured synthetic drugs like fentanyl. The abuse of opioids has increased in recent years, leading to an increased number of drug overdose deaths. The death rate from heroin overdose hit an all-time high of 4.9 per 100,000 population in 2016 and 2017, but has decreased in recent years. Now, illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids such as fentanyl account for the majority of opioid overdose deaths in the United States. Opioid epidemic The sharp rise in overdose deaths from opioids have led many to declare the United States is currently experiencing an opioid epidemic or opioid crisis. The causes of this epidemic are complicated but involve a combination of a rise in dispensed prescriptions, irresponsible marketing from pharmaceutical companies, a lack of physician-patient communication, increased social acceptance of prescription drugs, and an increased supply of cheap and potent heroin on the streets.

This dashboard provides in-depth analysis surrounding events and characteristics of individuals who experienced non-fatal and/or fatal opioid overdoses in the District of Columbia. It includes data on ambulance transports for overdoses, fatalities, naloxone distribution, harm reduction efforts and the results of our used syringe testing. Data is aggregated at the neighborhood and ward levels. Data on fatal opioid overdoses will include deaths from 2021-2024. Data on non-fatal opioid overdoses will include incidents from 2021-2024. Note: Fatal opioid overdose data are delayed by approximately 90 days due to toxicological testing.

This dataset includes the count and rate per 100,000 Virginia residents for all-drug overdose deaths among Virginia residents by year and by city/county of the decedent. City/county localities are assigned using the patient's residence at time of death. Data set includes all-drug overdose death counts and rates for years 2018 through the most recent data year available. When data set is downloaded, the years will be sorted in ascending order, meaning that the earliest year will be at the top. To see data for the most recent year, please scroll down to the bottom of the data set.