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U.S. Overdose Deaths Fall for Third Straight Year
Preliminary CDC data shows about 70,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2025, a 14 percent decline from the prior year. This marks the longest decline in overdose deaths in decades, with reductions seen across fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine. Deaths fell in most states though seven reported increases, while new substances continue to appear in the drug supply.
May 13, 12:13 PM·2m read1 source
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U.S. overdose deaths fell for the third consecutive year in 2025, according to preliminary government data released Wednesday. About 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, a decrease of about 14 percent from the previous year. The total is roughly the same as the number recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was the longest decline in decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showed. Declines appeared across multiple drug types, including fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine. Overdose deaths dropped in the vast majority of states.
Seven states recorded at least slight increases, including jumps of 10 percent or more in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.
U.S. overdose deaths had risen for decades but increased sharply during the pandemic, reaching nearly 110,000 in 2022. The rise was linked to social isolation and reduced access to addiction treatment. Deaths began to fall as the pandemic eased. Researchers have identified several possible contributing factors to the decline, including wider availability of naloxone, expanded addiction treatment, changes in drug use patterns, and funding from opioid lawsuit settlements.
Some studies suggest the pool of people at risk of overdose has shrunk as fewer teenagers start using drugs and many long-term users have died. Regulatory changes in China several years ago are also thought to have reduced the supply of chemicals used to make fentanyl.
Health and law enforcement officials have raised concerns about newer drugs detected in 2025. A federally funded toxicology lab in Horsham, Pennsylvania, identified 27 new drugs throughout 2025. Less than five months into 2026, the lab has already identified 23 new drugs.
