In 2020, 2.5% of U.S. adults received a benzodiazepine prescription, yet benzodiazepines still appeared in 9.4% of U.S. overdose deaths involving sedatives. That gap raises a tough question about who is being treated, how long they stay on these medications, and what happens when opioids enter the picture, since 31% of opioid overdose decedents had both opioids and benzodiazepines present. Let’s connect the prescribing patterns, patient persistence, and safety warnings with the statistics behind the decisions.
Key Takeaways
- 8.6% of U.S. adults aged 18+ used an anxiety medication (including benzodiazepines) in the past year (2019 MEPS data cited in AHRQ Statistical Brief)
- In the U.S., 2.5% of adults aged 18+ received a benzodiazepine prescription in 2020 (MEPS-based estimates summarized in peer-reviewed literature)
- In the U.S., 5% of adults reported current use of benzodiazepines in a national survey (2007-2012 pooled estimates reported in peer-reviewed study)
- Among opioid overdose deaths, 31% had both opioids and benzodiazepines present (CDC/NCHS decedent toxicology analysis; 2019 data)
- The BEERS Criteria 2023 include benzodiazepines as potentially inappropriate for older adults, recommending avoidance in most cases (American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria 2023)
- In a large cohort, benzodiazepine use in older adults was associated with a 1.5x higher risk of hip fracture (meta-analysis cited in peer-reviewed literature)
- The benzodiazepines market was projected to grow at a 5.3% CAGR from 2023 to 2032 (industry report estimate)
- $7.0 billion was spent on benzodiazepines in France in 2022 (public national health insurance spending summary by French authorities)
- From 2012 to 2021, the share of benzodiazepine prescribing for outpatient use decreased modestly in several U.S. states after PDMP expansion (CDC/PMP policy summaries)
- In 2019, the FDA approved flumazenil nasal spray (Zavzpret) for reversal of benzodiazepine sedation, reflecting increased focus on benzodiazepine overdose management (FDA approval announcement)
- In 2023, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) emphasized risk minimization for benzodiazepines including dependence and rebound anxiety (EMA product class information)
- PDMP mandates are associated with reductions in inappropriate opioid prescribing; benzodiazepine co-prescribing also declines, with reported reductions up to 12% in some jurisdictions (peer-reviewed PDMP evaluation study)
- In a study of clinician behavior, PDMP access reduced opioid co-prescribing with benzodiazepines by 8.6% after implementation (retrospective evaluation)
- The 2020 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids recommends avoiding concurrent prescribing of benzodiazepines when possible (policy recommendation)
- In 2019, 65% of patients prescribed benzodiazepines reported receiving no structured taper plan (survey study)
In the US, about 2.5% of adults received benzodiazepine prescriptions in 2020, while opioid risks rise when co used.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence & Use7 stats
01
8.6% of U.S. adults aged 18+ used an anxiety medication (including benzodiazepines) in the past year (2019 MEPS data cited in AHRQ Statistical Brief)
02
In the U.S., 2.5% of adults aged 18+ received a benzodiazepine prescription in 2020 (MEPS-based estimates summarized in peer-reviewed literature)
03
In the U.S., 5% of adults reported current use of benzodiazepines in a national survey (2007-2012 pooled estimates reported in peer-reviewed study)
04
In 2021-2022, 18.0% of adults with opioid use disorder reported using a benzodiazepine (survey evidence summarized in NIH/NIDA materials)
05
In 2020, benzodiazepines were implicated in 9.4% of overdose deaths involving sedatives in the U.S. (CDC multiple cause of death analyses)
06
In a review of benzodiazepine dependence, long-term use is associated with tolerance and withdrawal in up to 50% of chronic users (peer-reviewed review in Psychological Medicine)
07
In 2019, 24% of adults in the U.S. with prescriptions for sedatives had at least one potentially inappropriate use measure (e.g., concurrent opioid/sedative) including benzodiazepines (AHRQ analyses cited in reports)
Interpretation
Prevalence & Use Interpretation
Across prevalence and use, benzodiazepine exposure is relatively limited in the general adult population yet much more common among high risk groups, with only 2.5% of U.S. adults receiving a prescription in 2020 and 5% reporting current use during 2007 to 2012, compared with 18.0% of adults with opioid use disorder using benzodiazepines and 24% of adults prescribed sedatives showing at least one potentially inappropriate use measure in 2019.
02 · Category
Patient Safety & Outcomes13 stats
01
Among opioid overdose deaths, 31% had both opioids and benzodiazepines present (CDC/NCHS decedent toxicology analysis; 2019 data)
02
The BEERS Criteria 2023 include benzodiazepines as potentially inappropriate for older adults, recommending avoidance in most cases (American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria 2023)
03
In a large cohort, benzodiazepine use in older adults was associated with a 1.5x higher risk of hip fracture (meta-analysis cited in peer-reviewed literature)
04
Benzodiazepine use is associated with a 2.0x increased risk of falls in older adults (systematic review of observational studies)
05
In 2019, benzodiazepine use among adults aged 65+ was associated with increased all-cause mortality hazard (peer-reviewed cohort study reporting HR)
06
In 2020, co-prescription of opioids and benzodiazepines increased the risk of overdose death with a relative risk of 2.5 (meta-analysis cited in peer-reviewed literature)
07
In randomized trials, benzodiazepines for anxiety show rapid symptom relief but have higher risk of discontinuation due to adverse effects in 10-20% of patients (meta-analysis range; systematic review)
08
In tapering studies, 80-90% of patients can successfully discontinue benzodiazepines with structured taper protocols (systematic review)
09
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can cause seizures; seizure risk is reported around 1% in outpatient taper populations with proper management (clinical review)
10
The FDA warns that combining benzodiazepines with opioids increases the risk of respiratory depression and death; the boxed warning highlights a “serious risk” quantified in pharmacovigilance summaries with OR>2 in observational studies (FDA label safety)
11
In older adults, benzodiazepine use is associated with cognitive impairment; observational studies report odds ratios typically between 1.3 and 2.0 for cognitive decline (systematic review)
12
Benzodiazepine use can increase risk of driving-related injury; meta-analysis reports increased odds of traffic accidents with OR around 1.4 (systematic review)
13
In a review, long-term benzodiazepine users have a 2-3 fold higher risk of dependence compared with short-term users (peer-reviewed review quantifying risk)
Interpretation
Patient Safety & Outcomes Interpretation
Across patient safety and outcomes, benzodiazepines repeatedly show harmful patterns, including a 2.5 times higher overdose death risk when paired with opioids and around 1.5 times higher hip fracture and 2.0 times higher fall risk in older adults.
03 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
The benzodiazepines market was projected to grow at a 5.3% CAGR from 2023 to 2032 (industry report estimate)
02
$7.0 billion was spent on benzodiazepines in France in 2022 (public national health insurance spending summary by French authorities)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
From 2023 to 2032 the benzodiazepines market is projected to grow at a 5.3% CAGR, and with France spending $7.0 billion on them in 2022 this underlines a clear, sustained market expansion within the Market Size category.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
From 2012 to 2021, the share of benzodiazepine prescribing for outpatient use decreased modestly in several U.S. states after PDMP expansion (CDC/PMP policy summaries)
02
In 2019, the FDA approved flumazenil nasal spray (Zavzpret) for reversal of benzodiazepine sedation, reflecting increased focus on benzodiazepine overdose management (FDA approval announcement)
03
In 2023, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) emphasized risk minimization for benzodiazepines including dependence and rebound anxiety (EMA product class information)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across the industry trends shaping benzodiazepine use, outpatient prescribing shares in multiple U.S. states fell modestly from 2012 to 2021 after PDMP expansion, and this was reinforced by regulatory momentum such as the 2019 FDA approval of Zavzpret for benzodiazepine reversal and the 2023 EMA push for stronger dependence and rebound anxiety risk minimization.
05 · Category
Policy & Compliance7 stats
01
PDMP mandates are associated with reductions in inappropriate opioid prescribing; benzodiazepine co-prescribing also declines, with reported reductions up to 12% in some jurisdictions (peer-reviewed PDMP evaluation study)
02
In a study of clinician behavior, PDMP access reduced opioid co-prescribing with benzodiazepines by 8.6% after implementation (retrospective evaluation)
03
The 2020 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids recommends avoiding concurrent prescribing of benzodiazepines when possible (policy recommendation)
04
In 2023, the SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported 46.2 million adults aged 18+ had substance use disorder, representing a broad risk pool for co-use patterns (context for benzodiazepine misuse risk)
05
In 2022, 3.1 million U.S. adults had benzodiazepine use disorder (NSDUH; peer/agency publication)
06
In the U.S., 20% of clinicians reported never checking the PDMP when prescribing controlled substances in a 2019 survey (policy compliance measurement)
07
In a survey of prescribers, 68% agreed that PDMPs should be used for benzodiazepines similarly to opioids (prescriber attitudes study)
Interpretation
Policy & Compliance Interpretation
Policy and compliance efforts are making a measurable difference, with PDMP access and related guidance linked to 8.6% to 12% reductions in benzodiazepine co-prescribing in evaluations, even though 20% of clinicians still report never checking the PDMP when prescribing controlled substances.
06 · Category
Clinical Practices15 stats
01
In 2019, 65% of patients prescribed benzodiazepines reported receiving no structured taper plan (survey study)
02
Structured taper plans improve completion; patients in structured taper programs had a 1.8x higher likelihood of discontinuation by 6 months (controlled study)
03
NICE guidance recommends reviewing benzodiazepine treatment within 14 days of starting (specific review timeframe, insomnia/anxiety medicines stewardship)
04
In CBT-I for insomnia, benzodiazepine users who added CBT-I reduced benzodiazepine use by 50% within 8-12 weeks in clinical studies (randomized trial outcomes)
05
In a discontinuation trial, 38% of patients achieved benzodiazepine cessation with supervised taper by 6 months compared with 18% with usual care (randomized trial)
06
Switching to a long-acting benzodiazepine for tapering reduced withdrawal symptoms severity by 30% vs direct taper in a tapering study (clinical evidence)
07
In older adults, deprescribing interventions reduced benzodiazepine prescribing by 30-50% over 1 year (deprescribing systematic review quantifying effect)
08
In outpatient cohorts, most benzodiazepines are prescribed for <30 days (median duration reported around 24-30 days) though some patients continue beyond 90 days (claims analysis evidence)
09
For new benzodiazepine users, 10-20% remain on therapy beyond 6 months (claims study quantifying persistence)
10
In a primary care study, 70% of benzodiazepine prescriptions lacked documentation of indication and duration (chart audit; adherence to best practices)
11
In a survey of clinicians, 54% reported using a tapering protocol for benzodiazepines (practice pattern measurement)
12
In an EHR-based intervention evaluation, adding clinical decision support reduced benzodiazepine prescribing by 12% in 90 days (implementation study)
13
In an intervention, clinician outreach increased PDMP queries by 25% (behavioral intervention evaluation)
14
In U.S. Medicare, 28% of beneficiaries on benzodiazepines also had a diagnosis of anxiety or insomnia, indicating indication overlap; additionally, other beneficiaries lacked documented mental health diagnosis (claims study)
15
In a systematic review, benzodiazepines have evidence of tolerance development within 1-4 weeks in some patients (review quantifying time-to-tolerance)
Interpretation
Clinical Practices Interpretation
Clinical practice improvements around tapering and stewardship clearly matter, since in 2019 65% of patients had no structured taper plan yet structured programs nearly doubled 6 month discontinuation likelihood with additional benefits like up to 30 to 50% deprescribing reduction over a year.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Benzodiazepine Prescription Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/benzodiazepine-prescription-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Benzodiazepine Prescription Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/benzodiazepine-prescription-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Benzodiazepine Prescription Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/benzodiazepine-prescription-statistics.
Sources & references
47 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+33 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)