Provisional Data Shows U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Top 100,000 in 2022

NCHS released the next set of monthly provisional drug overdose death counts that provide data through December 2022. The monthly counts are released under the Vital Statistics Rapid Release program as an interactive data visualization and are available at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm.

Findings:

• Provisional data show that the reported number of drug overdose deaths occurring in the United States decreased by 2% from the 12 months ending in December 2021 to the 12 months ending in December 2022, from 107,573 to 105,452.
• After adjustments for delayed reporting, the predicted number of drug overdose deaths showed an increase of 0.5% from the 12 months ending in December 2021 to the 12 months ending in December 2022, from 109,179 to 109,680.The biggest percentage increase in overdose deaths in 2022 occurred in Washington and Wyoming, where deaths were up 22%.
• South Dakota had the biggest percentage decrease in overdose deaths in 2022, where deaths were down 18% from 102 to 84 deaths.
• The only state in which the number of overdose deaths did not change in 2022 was Iowa.
• The 82,998 predicted opioid-involved drug overdose deaths in the United States for the 12-month period ending in December 2022 is an increase from 82,310 in the previous year.
• The 79,770 reported opioid-involved drug overdose deaths for the 12-month period ending in December 2022 is a decrease from 80,997 in the previous year.
• The reported and predicted number of drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids (including fentanyl but excluding methadone) and psychostimulants with abuse potential (such as methamphetamine) continued to increase compared to the previous year.
• Both reported and predicted overdose deaths involving cocaine increased compared to the previous year.