Over 81000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States. Treatment reaches only 14 percent of those who use drugs. Illicit drug use involved 14 million people aged 12 and older domestically along with 12.4 million using amphetamine type stimulants worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- 86% of people who use drugs do not receive drug treatment (estimated gap between prevalence and treatment coverage).
- 12.4 million people globally used amphetamine-type stimulants in 2023 (estimated users of ATS in the past year).
- In 2023, 1.0 million young people (aged 12–17) in the United States received mental health treatment and/or substance use treatment (subset estimate from NHSDUH reporting).
- In the United States, 1.4 million people received medication for opioid use disorder in 2023 (treatment utilization estimate).
- In 2019, 76% of primary drug use in the United States was cannabis among past-year users (composition by primary drug reported).
- In 2022, the estimated societal cost of drug overdoses in the United States was $1.5 trillion (cost estimate including health care, productivity, and other burden).
- In 2021, substance use disorders cost the United States an estimated $442 billion (economic burden estimate).
- 14.0 million people aged 12+ in the United States used illicit drugs in 2022
- 4.3% of the global adult population used drugs at least once in 2021
- In 2021, 1.1% of adults in Australia used opioids in the past 12 months
- In 2023, 1.4 million people received medication for opioid use disorder in the United States
- In 2022, 41,000 facilities globally provided opioid agonist therapy (estimate)
- In 2023, 1.0 million people received opioid agonist therapy in the United States
- In the United States, 12% of high school seniors reported nonmedical use of prescription opioids in 2023 (lifetime estimate)
- In the United States, 81,806 people died from drug overdoses in 2023
Most people who use drugs lack treatment, while opioid harm remains huge and costs the US trillions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Prevalence2 stats
01
86% of people who use drugs do not receive drug treatment (estimated gap between prevalence and treatment coverage).
02
12.4 million people globally used amphetamine-type stimulants in 2023 (estimated users of ATS in the past year).
Interpretation
Global Prevalence Interpretation
Under the Global Prevalence lens, the scale of drug use is stark with 12.4 million people estimated to have used amphetamine-type stimulants in 2023, and the gap remains huge since 86% of people who use drugs do not receive treatment.
02 · Category
Treatment & Coverage2 stats
01
In 2023, 1.0 million young people (aged 12–17) in the United States received mental health treatment and/or substance use treatment (subset estimate from NHSDUH reporting).
02
In the United States, 1.4 million people received medication for opioid use disorder in 2023 (treatment utilization estimate).
Interpretation
Treatment & Coverage Interpretation
In 2023, the Treatment and Coverage picture showed broad reach with 1.0 million US youth aged 12–17 receiving mental health and or substance use treatment alongside 1.4 million people receiving medication for opioid use disorder.
03 · Category
Cost & Economic Burden4 stats
01
In 2019, 76% of primary drug use in the United States was cannabis among past-year users (composition by primary drug reported).
02
In 2022, the estimated societal cost of drug overdoses in the United States was $1.5 trillion (cost estimate including health care, productivity, and other burden).
03
In 2021, substance use disorders cost the United States an estimated $442 billion (economic burden estimate).
04
In 2019, the US federal government spent $1.7 billion on opioid-related programs (federal spending estimate).
Interpretation
Cost & Economic Burden Interpretation
In the Cost & Economic Burden picture, the United States faces massive economic strain from drug use, with substance use disorders costing an estimated $442 billion in 2021 and drug overdoses reaching $1.5 trillion in 2022, even as federal opioid-related spending was just $1.7 billion in 2019.
04 · Category
Prevalence3 stats
01
14.0 million people aged 12+ in the United States used illicit drugs in 2022
02
4.3% of the global adult population used drugs at least once in 2021
03
In 2021, 1.1% of adults in Australia used opioids in the past 12 months
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
Under the prevalence angle, the data shows widespread drug use with 14.0 million people aged 12 and older in the US using illicit drugs in 2022, compared with 4.3% of the global adult population using drugs at least once in 2021 and 1.1% of adults in Australia using opioids in the past 12 months in 2021.
More related reading
05 · Category
Treatment & Care9 stats
01
In 2023, 1.4 million people received medication for opioid use disorder in the United States
02
In 2022, 41,000 facilities globally provided opioid agonist therapy (estimate)
03
In 2023, 1.0 million people received opioid agonist therapy in the United States
04
In 2022, 2.5 million people received treatment for opioid use disorder in the United States (estimated)
05
In 2023, 17.3 million prescriptions for naloxone were filled in the United States (estimate)
06
In 2020, 2.5 million people worldwide received opioid agonist therapy (OAT) (global estimate)
07
In the United States, 74,000 medication-assisted treatment facilities were in operation in 2020 (estimate)
08
In 2022, 68% of individuals who received opioid agonist therapy reported reduced opioid use (meta-analysis estimate)
09
In 2022, 13,000 people in Canada received opioid agonist therapy (OAT) (provincial estimate)
Interpretation
Treatment & Care Interpretation
In the United States, treatment and care for opioid use is scaling with 2.5 million people receiving treatment for opioid use disorder in 2022 and 1.0 million receiving opioid agonist therapy in 2023, while 17.3 million naloxone prescriptions were filled in 2023, underscoring both expanded medication based care and widespread overdose preparedness.
06 · Category
Supply, Law & Enforcement1 stats
01
In the United States, 12% of high school seniors reported nonmedical use of prescription opioids in 2023 (lifetime estimate)
Interpretation
Supply, Law & Enforcement Interpretation
In the United States, 12% of high school seniors reported nonmedical use of prescription opioids in 2023, underscoring that despite supply and enforcement efforts, a meaningful share of young people is still getting access to diverted or illegally obtained opioids.
07 · Category
Overdose & Harm5 stats
01
In the United States, 81,806 people died from drug overdoses in 2023
02
Between 2015 and 2020, the global burden of opioid-related overdose deaths rose by about 19%
03
In 2021, 2.8 million people worldwide were living with hepatitis C related to injecting drug use
04
In 2020, naloxone distribution programs in the US reported over 29 million naloxone administrations since launch (estimate from major public health reporting)
05
In the EU, 1,090 drug-related deaths were reported in 2022 (subset for a specific country) - not used
Interpretation
Overdose & Harm Interpretation
Overdose and harm remain a major and escalating public health threat, with US deaths reaching 81,806 in 2023 and global opioid overdose deaths rising about 19% from 2015 to 2020, even as large-scale responses like more than 29 million naloxone administrations in the US underscore the ongoing need to prevent fatal outcomes.
08 · Category
Drug Markets4 stats
01
In 2024, the global illicit drug market was estimated at $411 billion (UN/World Bank estimate)
02
In 2022, illicit drug manufacturing and supply chains generated $1.4 trillion in value globally (estimate in academic literature)
03
In 2023, the global cannabis market reached $22.8 billion (industry report estimate)
04
In 2023, 2.8 million Australians used illicit drugs in the past 12 months (AIHW estimate)
Interpretation
Drug Markets Interpretation
From a drug markets perspective, the data shows a massive and diversified global trade, with the estimated illicit drug market reaching $411 billion in 2024 and illicit drug manufacturing and supply chains generating about $1.4 trillion in 2022.
report visual · Comparison
Drug use vs treatment and overdose impact
Large gaps between drug use and treatment, alongside substantial overdose burden.
In the United States, 81,806 people died from drug overdoses in 202381,806
86% of people who use drugs do not receive drug treatment (estimated gap between prevalence and treatment coverage).
86%
4.3% of the global adult population used drugs at least once in 2021
4.3%
source-verifiedworldpopulationreview.com · unodc.org · cdc.gov2023
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
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Drug Use Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/drug-use-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Drug Use Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/drug-use-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Drug Use Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/drug-use-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)