June 5, 2025

According to the most recent provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) National Vital Statistics System, drug overdose deaths in the U.S. are projected to have dropped by nearly 24% for the 12 months that ended September 2024 compared to the prior year. Approximately 87,000 overdose deaths occurred from October 2023 to September 2024, a decrease from approximately 114,000 overdose deaths from October 2022 to September 2023, according to the data. The overdose deaths from October 2023 to September 2024 represent the lowest 12-month total since June 2020.

CDC researchers analyzed provisional mortality data in the National Vital Statistics System, which includes deaths occurring within the 50 states and the District of Columbia as of the date specified. Provisional counts are often incomplete, and causes of death may be pending investigation, which results in an underestimate relative to final counts.

States with the most significant decreases in drug overdose deaths during 2024 were West Virginia (-43.5%), Virginia (-38.5%), and the District of Columbia (-37.4%). Drug overdose deaths increased in both Nevada (3.5%) and South Dakota (2.3%).

The CDC noted that multiple factors contributed to the drop in overdose deaths. These include:

• Widespread, data-driven distribution of naloxone, which can reverse an overdose.
• Better access to evidence-based treatment for addiction.
• Shifts in the illegal drug supply.
• A resumption of prevention and response after COVID-19-related disruptions.
• Continued investments in prevention and response programs like the CDC’s flagship Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) program, which funds 90 health departments under two distinct OD2A programs to reduce drug overdoses and the impact of related harms

A link to the full text of Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts is in the OPEN MINDS Circle Library at https://openminds.com/market-intelligence/resources/051425drugoverdosedata/.

For more information, contact: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; 800-232-4636; Email: CDCInfo@cdc.gov; Website: https://www.cdc.gov/