Fatal drug overdoses fall for third straight year: CDC
Key takeaways
- By December 2025, the number of reported drug overdose deaths in the U.S. fell by 14 percent to 68,632 deaths, according to provisional data.
- In December of 2024, the 12-month reported death count was 80,860.
- Drug overdose deaths are often initially reported with no cause of death (pending investigation), because they require lengthy investigation, including toxicology testing, the CDC s report noted.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
By December 2025, the number of reported drug overdose deaths in the U.S. fell by 14 percent to 68,632 deaths, according to provisional data. The predicted number of deaths, 69,973, is higher than the current reported amount as the initial figure is assumed to underrepresent the true count. About 0.3 percent of the deaths are part of pending investigations.
In December of 2024, the 12-month reported death count was 80,860.
Drug overdose deaths are often initially reported with no cause of death (pending investigation), because they require lengthy investigation, including toxicology testing, the CDC s report noted. Reported provisional counts may not include all deaths that occurred during a given time period. Therefore, they should not be considered comparable with final data and are subject to change.