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Provisional CDC data shows that U.S. overdose deaths fell through most of last year.
- The details: The new data runs through August 2025 and represents the first update of monthly provisional overdose deaths since the government shutdown in October.
The findings:
- An estimated 73,000 people died from overdoses in the 12-month period ending August 2025, down 21% from the 92,000 in the previous 12-month period.
- That includes an estimated 47,000 overdose deaths involving opioids (over 45,000 of which involved fentanyl), nearly 28,000 involving psychostimulants with abuse potential (methamphetamine), and nearly 20,000 involving cocaine.
- Deaths were down in all states except Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, New Mexico, and North Dakota.
Why it’s important: Overdose deaths have been falling for more than two years, the longest drop in decades.
But: The decline is slowing, and the monthly death toll is still not back to what it was before COVID.
Read more: US overdose deaths fell through most of 2025, federal data reveals
Published
January 2026