Approximately 69,973 Americans died of drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending December 2025, according to CDC data published.
It marks a 13.9% decline from the previous year and the third consecutive year that figure has dropped. The decline marks the longest sustained drop in overdose deaths in decades, with the 2025 total roughly in line with 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
Five things to know:
1. The CDC’s predicted value of 69,973 deaths represents a 13.9% decline from the prior 12-month period; the reported value, which is typically underestimated due to lag in death investigations, was 68,632 (-15.1%). CDC technical notes recommend predicted counts as the more accurate estimate.
2. Overdose deaths have declined for three consecutive years after peaking during the pandemic. The predicted 2024 figure was 81,313, down from 107,966 in 2023 and 110,393 in 2022.
3. Deaths involving opioids — still the single largest category — fell to an estimated 44,564 in 2025 from 55,296 in 2024. Declines were also recorded across deaths related to cocaine, synthetic opioids including fentanyl, and psychostimulants with abuse potential, including methamphetamine.
4. Three states saw increases of 10% or more in predicted deaths year over year: New Mexico (21.66%), Arizona (18.06%) and Colorado (10.55%). Researchers have pointed to increased combined use of fentanyl and methamphetamine as a possible factor in those states.
5. The states with the largest year-over-year decreases in predicted overdose deaths were Rhode Island (-35.19%), New York (-29.30%), North Carolina (-28,80%) and Alabama (-27.73%).