U.S. Overdose Deaths Drop 21% in Historic Two-Year Decline

For the first time in decades, the overdose epidemic that has devastated American families is finally showing sustained signs of retreat.

New federal data released Wednesday shows overdose deaths have fallen for 21 straight months through August 2025. An estimated 73,000 people died from overdoses in the 12-month period ending last August, down 21% from 92,000 the previous year.

The numbers represent the longest continuous decline in decades. Deaths peaked at nearly 110,000 in 2022, dropped slightly in 2023, then plummeted 27% in 2024 to around 80,000.

Perhaps most encouraging, 45 states are seeing fewer deaths. Only Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, New Mexico and North Dakota haven't experienced declines, though officials note some deaths may not yet be fully reported.

The Ripple Effect

Researchers are working to understand what's driving this historic shift, and several factors appear to be working together.

The overdose-reversing drug naloxone is now widely available in many communities. Addiction treatment has expanded significantly. Billions of dollars from opioid lawsuit settlements are funding prevention and recovery programs across the country.

Some evidence suggests the drug supply itself has changed. University of Maryland researchers found that Chinese regulatory changes in 2023 may have reduced availability of chemicals used to make fentanyl. Drug Enforcement Administration data shows fentanyl's dangerous potency fell after 2022.

Other researchers point to the end of pandemic stimulus payments. University of Pittsburgh scientists noted that overdose deaths surged after each round of stimulus checks in 2020 and 2021, then stabilized when those payments ended.

Brandon Marshall, a Brown University researcher studying overdose trends, calls the continued decline encouraging. While monthly death tolls haven't returned to pre-pandemic levels, the sustained improvement offers real hope.

Experts emphasize that multiple factors are likely at play. Fewer teens are starting to use drugs. Treatment access has improved. Communities are responding with prevention programs. And drug users themselves appear to be changing how they use substances.

The progress remains fragile and incomplete, with tens of thousands of families still losing loved ones each year. But after decades of worsening crisis, America is finally moving in the right direction.