Nationwide Drug Overdose Deaths Decline For Third Straight Year, Down 14% Between 2024 & 2025

Drug overdose deaths across the United States have fallen for the third consecutive year, according to preliminary data released in May 2026 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC estimates that approximately 69,973 people died from drug overdoses during the 12-month period ending in December 2025, representing a 13.9% decrease from the previous year.

The declines occurred across three consecutive reporting periods. An estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths occurred in 2024, a decrease of 26.9% from the 110,037 deaths estimated in 2023. The 2025 projection of approximately 69,973 deaths . . .