Council of Economic Advisers Study Finds Opioid Crisis Cost the U.S. $2.7 Trillion in 2023

The Council of Economic Advisers has released a study finding that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023.

This includes costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system, Fox News reports.

The study used a 2017 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report adjusted to account for inflation trends and changes in opioid deaths and opioid use disorder (OUD). The loss of life in 2023 cost the U.S. $1.11 trillion, based on 74,702 opioid deaths that year. Loss of quality of life for those with OUD cost $1.34 trillion, based on 5.7 million people with OUD in 2023.

The opioid crisis cost the health care system an estimated $107 billion in 2023, amounting to an additional $19,000 per year per person with OUD, with costs primarily borne by private insurers, Medicaid and hospitals providing uncompensated care. Loss of labor productivity due to the opioid crisis cost an estimated $107 billion in 2023, and crime (including police protection, court proceedings, correctional facility use and property loss stemming from opioid-related crime) cost $63 billion.