In 2024, the estimated number of drug overdose deaths in the United States was about 80,391, which is a 26.9% decrease from the approximately 110,037 deaths estimated in 2023. Opioid-involved overdose deaths decreased from an estimated 83,140 in 2023 to 54,743 in 2024. These figures represent provisional data and are subject to change as more data is collected.
In Canada, there were a total of 52,544 apparent opioid toxicity deaths reported between January 2016 and December 2024, with 2024 data showing that a significant portion of these deaths involved fentanyl and occurred mostly in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
For specific U.S. states like Virginia, preliminary data for 2024 showed 1,403 drug overdose deaths, marking a 43% decrease from 2023.
Therefore, the reported drug overdose deaths last year (2024) were around 80,000 in the U.S. with notable decreases, and opioid-related deaths remain the major contributor. The number worldwide would be higher, but this provides a clear picture for the U.S. and some Canadian data.
