U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths Decline For Third Year, Down 14% Between 2024 & 2025
May 28, 2026
Drug overdose deaths across the United States have fallen for the third consecutive year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 69,973 people died from drug overdoses during the 12-month period ending in December 2025, representing a 13.9% decrease from the 81,313 in 2024.
This is the third year for decline in drug overdoses. There were 107,966 deaths from overdoses in 2023.
During 2025, drug overdose deaths increased in seven states. The highest increase—21.7%—was in New Mexico. The lowest was 1.2% in Montana. Other states with increases in overdoses in 2025 include Arizona (18.1%), Colorado (10.5%), Minnesota (3.0%), Montana (1.2%), New Mexico (21.7%), North Dakota (8.3%), and South Dakota (2.3%).
The remaining states reported decreases in overdose deaths, ranging from 2.4% in Alaska to 35.2% in Rhode Island. In addition to Rhode Island, four other states had reductions greater than 25% between 2024 and 2025: Alabama (27.7%), New York (29.3%), North Carolina (28.8%), and Vermont (27.3%). There was no change in overdose deaths in Nebraska and Utah.
The figures were reported by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which tracks drug overdose mortality through the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). Provisional counts are adjusted for incomplete reporting and updated monthly using death records received from state vital registration offices.
The data represent rolling 12-month periods, meaning each estimate captures deaths occurring across all seasons of a given year. As of the May 2026 release, the 2025 figures remain provisional and subject to revision. Figures from 2015 through 2024 are based on final data.
A link to the full text of Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts is in the OPEN MINDS Circle Library.
The interactive report, Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts, has additional details (accessed May 27, 2026).
OPEN MINDS reported on the 2024 estimates in Provisional Data Indicates Drug Overdose Deaths Declined 24% Between 2023 & 2024 on June 5, 2025.
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/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm
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