Provisional Drug Overdose Death Surveillance
The Vital Statistics Rapid Release program provides access to the timeliest vital statistics for public health surveillance through the release of provisional data reports, datasets, and visualizations. This page includes access to surveillance data on drug overdose deaths based on a current flow of mortality data in the National Vital Statistics System. Unless otherwise noted, national provisional counts include deaths occurring within the 50 states and the District of Columbia that have been received and coded as of the date specified and may not include all deaths that occurred during a given time period. It is important to note that it can take several weeks for death records to be submitted to National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), processed, coded, and tabulated.
Reported and predicted provisional counts of drug overdose deaths by jurisdiction of occurrence and 12 month-ending period from 2015 through the most recent reporting period. Provisional drug overdose deaths by drug or drug class are also provided by time-period for select jurisdictions. Estimates for 2015-2021 are based on final data.
Reported provisional counts of drug overdose deaths by county of residence and 12 month-ending period from 2020 through the most recent reporting period.
Reported provisional counts of drug overdose deaths for specific drugs by jurisdiction of occurrence and 12 month-ending period from 2019 through the most recent reporting period.
Model-based provisional estimates of the weekly numbers of drug overdose, suicide, and transportation-related deaths using “nowcasting” methods to account for the normal lag between the occurrence and reporting of these deaths. Estimates are provided by jurisdiction and outcome of interest (drug overdose, suicide, or transportation-related deaths) from 2016 to October 2021. Estimates for 2016-2020 are based on final data.
Provisional estimates of death rates for the most recent reporting period for select causes of death, including drug overdose deaths. Death rates by age, sex and state of residence are included on this page.
Provisional Data Files
Monthly Counts of Deaths by Select Causes, 2020-2023
Health Policy Data Requests
Final Drug Overdose Death Data
Final Drug Overdose Deaths
County-level Drug Overdose Mortality in the United States, 2003-2021
- Percent of Drug Overdose Deaths by Quarter and Demographic Characteristics 2019 to 2020 [PDF – 30 KB] (8/11/2021)
- National provisional drug overdose deaths by urban/rural classification scheme for 12-month ending December 2018-December 2020 (7/4/2021)
- Number, crude and age-adjusted rates of drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone and oxymorphone, by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services region: 2018 [PDF – 115 KB] (5/3/2021)
- Percent of Drug Overdose Deaths by Quarter and Demographic Characteristics 2019-Q1 through 2020-Q3 [PDF – 26 KB] (4/14/2021)
- Percent of Specific Drugs Mentioned in Combination May 2019-April 2020 [PDF – 65 KB] (12/4/2020)
- Provisional Percent of Deaths with Specific Drug Mentions by Jurisdiction, April 2019-March 2020 [PDF – 126 KB] (10/16/2020)
- Percent of Drug overdose Deaths by Quarter and Demographic Characteristics 2018-Q1 through 2020-Q1 [PDF – 28 KB] (10/14/2020)
- Provisional Drug Overdose Counts and Rates by County: United States, 12-month period ending June 2019 [PDF – 473 KB] (3/11/2020)
- Number of deaths and age-adjusted death rates due to drug overdose involving opioids, by state: United States, 2017 and 2018 [PDF – 130 KB] (2/20/2020)
- Provisional Drug Overdose Counts and Rates by County: United States, 12-month period ending December 2018 [PDF – 473 KB] (11/13/2019)
- Percentage of Drug Overdose Deaths involving a Specific Drug or Drug Class, by Select Jurisdictions: United States, Provisional mortality data from March 2018 – February 2019 [PDF – 112 KB] (9/11/2019)
- Age-adjusted death rates due to drug overdose, by specific drugs or drug classes: United States, 2006-Quarter 2, 2017 [PDF – 694 KB] (7/12/2018)
- Provisional Counts of Drug Overdose Deaths – January 2017 [PDF – 178 KB] (8/8/2017)
- Percent of drug poisoning deaths that mention the type of drug(s) involved, by State: 2013-2014 [PDF – 120 KB] (12/21/2015)
- Number and age-adjusted rates of drug-poisoning deaths involving opioid analgesics and heroin: United States, 2000–2014 [PDF – 90 KB] (12/9/2015)