U.S. Overdose Deaths Decrease Almost 27% in 2024

Print
Related Pages

For Immediate Release: May 14, 2025

Contact: ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø, National Center for Health Statistics, Office of Communication (301) 458-4800
E-mail: [email protected]

Provisional data from the ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate there were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2024—a decrease of 26.9% from the 110,037 deaths estimated in 2023.

Annual drug overdose deaths are projected to reach their lowest level since 2019.

Almost all states across the nation saw decreases; Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., experienced declines of 35% or more. In contrast, South Dakota and Nevada had slight increases compared to the same period in 2023.

The new data show overdose deaths involving opioids decreased from an estimated 83,140 in 2023 to 54,743 in 2024. Overdose deaths involving cocaine and psychostimulants (like methamphetamine) decreased as well.

*Deaths may involve multiple drugs, while others might not specify any specific drug. As a result, the sum of deaths attributed to specific drugs may not equal the total number of drug overdose deaths.

The data will be featured in an interactive web data visualization that will be updated Wednesday, May 14. The 2024 data presented in this visualization are provisional—they are incomplete and subject to change as more 2024 data are submitted to the National Vital Statistics System.

The visualization includes:

  • Reported and predicted (estimated) provisional counts of deaths due to drug overdose occurring nationally and in each jurisdiction.
  • U.S. map of the percentage changes in provisional drug overdose deaths for the 12-month period ending in December 2024 compared with the 12-month period ending in December 2023, by jurisdiction.
  • Reported and predicted provisional counts of drug overdose deaths involving specific drugs or drug classes occurring nationally and in selected jurisdictions.
  • The latest update now includes provisional drug overdose death statistics for Puerto Rico; however, these figures are not reflected in the overall U.S. total.

NCHS releases both reported and predicted provisional drug overdose death counts each month. They represent the numbers of these deaths due to drug overdose occurring in the 12-month periods ending in the month indicated. Deaths are reported by the jurisdiction in which the death occurred.