Health
Verified dataU.S. overdose deaths hit a record — then a historic drop
Fentanyl drove U.S. drug-overdose deaths to a record of about 109,000 in 2022. By 2024 they had fallen roughly 26% — the steepest decline on record.
CSV · 11 rows · 2015–2024
U.S. drug-overdose deaths more than doubled from about 52,600 in 2015 to a record 109,413 in 2022, driven by fentanyl (synthetic opioids), which accounted for 68% of them. By 2024 total deaths had fallen about 26% to roughly 80,900 — the largest drop on record — and early 2025 data show the decline continuing.
Key findings
- U.S. overdose deaths more than doubled from about 52,600 in 2015 to a record 109,413 in 2022.
- Fentanyl (synthetic opioids) drove the surge — about 68% of all overdose deaths in 2022, up from under a fifth in 2015.
- By 2024, total deaths had fallen about 26% to roughly 80,900 — the steepest decline on record — with early 2025 data showing it continuing.
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Coverage: Jan 1, 2015 – Dec 31, 2024 · United States
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Sources
Primary source
CDC / National Center for Health Statistics
VSRR Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts
Provisional drug overdose death counts
Accessed Aug 22, 2026
12-month-ending provisional counts; synthetic opioids excl. methadone = fentanyl.
Methodology
Provisional U.S. drug-overdose death counts (12-month totals ending each December) from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics Vital Statistics Rapid Release. “Fentanyl” is synthetic opioids other than methadone (ICD-10 T40.4). Provisional counts are revised upward over time as death investigations complete.
What this does not show
These are provisional CDC counts based on death certificates; recent years are revised upward as reporting completes, so 2023–2024 figures may rise. “Fentanyl” here means synthetic opioids other than methadone; many deaths involve multiple drugs, so drug categories overlap and do not sum cleanly. Early 2025 data show the decline continuing.
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<figure style="margin:0;max-width:1600px">
<a href="https://chartive.org/visualizations/us-overdose-deaths-fentanyl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://chartive.org/infographics/us-overdose-deaths-fentanyl.png" alt="Stacked area chart of U.S. drug-overdose deaths per year, 2015 to 2024, split into fentanyl (synthetic opioids) and all other drugs. Total deaths rose from about 52,600 in 2015 to a record 109,413 in 2022, then fell to about 80,860 in 2024." width="1600" height="2133" style="max-width:100%;height:auto" />
</a>
<figcaption style="font:14px/1.4 system-ui,sans-serif;color:#57534e;margin-top:8px">
Graphic by Chartive Editorial, using data from CDC / National Center for Health Statistics — via <a href="https://chartive.org/visualizations/us-overdose-deaths-fentanyl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chartive</a>
</figcaption>
</figure>Reuse is welcome — the embed keeps a link back to the source.
