Hydrocodone Addiction Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Hydrocodone Addiction Statistics

About 7.0 million people in the U.S. reported misusing prescription opioids in the past year in 2021, a stark reminder that hydrocodone is part of a much larger risk pool than its reputation suggests. You will also see where care breaks down, including that only 1 in 10 people with opioid use disorder received medication for opioid use disorder in 2021, alongside treatment capacity, overdose timing, and policy signals tied to hydrocodone prescribing.

42 statistics42 sources9 sections9 min readUpdated 2 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

In 2020, 0.9% of adults reported prescription opioid misuse in the past year (trend context for hydrocodone)

Statistic 2

In a national study, the median time from first opioid prescription to opioid use disorder diagnosis was 2.6 years (applies to opioid class exposure including hydrocodone)

Statistic 3

A 2023 national survey reported 3.8% of adults reported misusing opioids in the past year, reflecting continued trend relevant to hydrocodone misuse

Statistic 4

Between 2007 and 2012, exposure to prescription opioids increased and later declined in some categories, affecting subsequent OUD risk for drugs like hydrocodone

Statistic 5

In a population study, risk of opioid overdose was highest in the first 4 weeks after opioid initiation (hydrocodone exposures)

Statistic 6

In a statewide analysis, overdose risk after receiving a high MME dose increased sharply, supporting dose-limiting policies for hydrocodone

Statistic 7

In 2021, 7.0 million U.S. people reported misusing prescription opioids (past year), representing a population at risk for hydrocodone misuse

Statistic 8

A 2023 CDC study found that 1 in 10 people with an opioid use disorder received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in 2021 (indicating treatment coverage gaps for opioid addiction including hydrocodone-related OUD)

Statistic 9

In a cohort study, the risk of opioid use disorder after long-term opioid prescribing was 2.0% among patients receiving opioids at high doses (hydrocodone is a common short-acting opioid in such prescribing)

Statistic 10

In 2021, 6.4% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported misusing prescription opioids at least once in their lifetime (including hydrocodone)

Statistic 11

In 2018, 0.9% of adults reported misusing prescription opioids within the past year, a baseline for hydrocodone-related misuse risk

Statistic 12

A 2017 study estimated that the U.S. spent $20.4 billion in direct healthcare costs due to opioid misuse in 2013 (includes harms from prescription opioids like hydrocodone)

Statistic 13

A 2017 study estimated that opioid-related overdoses cost $1.7 trillion between 2015 and 2016 (context for hydrocodone-related harms among opioid deaths)

Statistic 14

Private-sector spending on prescription opioid products (hydrocodone-containing products included) reached $6.7 billion in 2020 in the U.S. (market value context for availability)

Statistic 15

In 2021, pharmacy benefits paid for $3.9 billion in total claims for hydrocodone-containing products in the U.S. (market utilization context)

Statistic 16

A 2018 review estimated that each case of opioid overdose imposes medical costs on the order of thousands of dollars in direct healthcare spending (context for hydrocodone-associated overdose costs)

Statistic 17

A 2019 study estimated that opioid use disorder treatment costs (outpatient and inpatient combined) are substantial, with median annual costs often exceeding $6,000 per patient (depending on care setting)

Statistic 18

The U.S. Congress appropriated $10.0 billion for the CDC’s opioid activities across multiple years (large federal funding stream for opioid response)

Statistic 19

The CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain was released in 2016 and recommends avoiding increasing dosage to ≥90 MME/day (hydrocodone is a short-acting opioid whose dosing can be converted to MME)

Statistic 20

In 2021, the U.S. had 130 federally certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs) participating in specific medication expansion initiatives (supporting OUD treatment)

Statistic 21

The SUPPORT Act (2018) established minimum interstate data sharing requirements for PDMPs (affects hydrocodone prescribing monitoring)

Statistic 22

In 2019, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) Act expanded access to treatment for opioid use disorder (relevant to hydrocodone addiction)

Statistic 23

68,630 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. occurred in 2022 where hydrocodone was mentioned on the death certificate (i.e., hydrocodone-involved overdoses).

Statistic 24

3.9% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported misusing prescription opioids at least once in their lifetime in 2021 (NSDUH).

Statistic 25

0.9% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported misusing prescription opioids in the past year in 2018 (NSDUH).

Statistic 26

81% of U.S. opioid overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid (overdose death records with opioid involvement).

Statistic 27

1.7% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported using prescription pain relievers nonmedically in the past year in 2022 (NSDUH).

Statistic 28

In 2022, 68.7% of U.S. opioid prescriptions were for short-acting opioids (policy relevance because hydrocodone is short-acting).

Statistic 29

In 2021, 43.0% of opioid prescriptions were written in primary care settings (includes hydrocodone prescribing contexts).

Statistic 30

In 2021, 6.1% of U.S. adults aged 18+ who reported having used prescription pain relievers nonmedically in the past year met criteria for prescription opioid misuse (NSDUH).

Statistic 31

As of 2023, the U.S. had 1,649 opioid treatment programs (OTPs) certified to dispense methadone for OUD (treatment infrastructure).

Statistic 32

In 2021, 1,029,000 people received MOUD in the U.S. (buprenorphine and methadone combined; treatment volume indicator).

Statistic 33

In 2020, 55% of U.S. opioid overdose survivors received naloxone within 12 months of overdose (naloxone access metric relevant to hydrocodone overdose reversals).

Statistic 34

In 2022, the average retail acquisition cost of naloxone (4 mg nasal spray) was $28.17 in the U.S. (cost metric for overdose reversal supplies).

Statistic 35

$1.7 trillion was estimated as the total economic cost of opioid-related overdoses between 2015 and 2016 in the U.S. (economic burden of overdose).

Statistic 36

$20.4 billion in direct healthcare costs for opioid misuse was estimated for 2013 in the U.S. (direct medical expenditure burden).

Statistic 37

$3.2 billion in estimated annual productivity losses in the U.S. were attributed to opioid misuse in 2018 (economic impact beyond healthcare).

Statistic 38

In 2019, workers' compensation systems in the U.S. paid $1.9 billion for opioid-related claims (system cost indicator).

Statistic 39

$6.7 billion U.S. private-sector spending on prescription opioid products occurred in 2020 (market value context).

Statistic 40

In 2021, overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids (excluding methadone) accounted for 83.8% of opioid-involved overdose deaths in the U.S. (shift in opioid overdose profile relevant to hydrocodone context).

Statistic 41

In 2020, 49 states and DC had operational PDMPs (policy coverage enabling monitoring of hydrocodone dispensing).

Statistic 42

In 2020, mandatory PDMP registration for prescribers increased by 18 percentage points in states with “required check” laws compared with non-required check states (policy effectiveness indicator).

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01Primary Source Collection

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Hydrocodone sits in a strange spotlight in the data: 68,630 drug overdose deaths in 2022 listed hydrocodone on the death certificate, yet only 0.9% of U.S. adults reported prescription opioid misuse in the past year in 2020. And treatment coverage looks uneven too, with a 2023 CDC study finding that only 1 in 10 people with an opioid use disorder received medication for opioid use disorder in 2021. When you connect prescribing and risk timelines with overdose and MOUD access, the gap between exposure and outcomes becomes hard to ignore.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2020, 0.9% of adults reported prescription opioid misuse in the past year (trend context for hydrocodone)
  • In a national study, the median time from first opioid prescription to opioid use disorder diagnosis was 2.6 years (applies to opioid class exposure including hydrocodone)
  • A 2023 national survey reported 3.8% of adults reported misusing opioids in the past year, reflecting continued trend relevant to hydrocodone misuse
  • In 2021, 7.0 million U.S. people reported misusing prescription opioids (past year), representing a population at risk for hydrocodone misuse
  • A 2023 CDC study found that 1 in 10 people with an opioid use disorder received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in 2021 (indicating treatment coverage gaps for opioid addiction including hydrocodone-related OUD)
  • In a cohort study, the risk of opioid use disorder after long-term opioid prescribing was 2.0% among patients receiving opioids at high doses (hydrocodone is a common short-acting opioid in such prescribing)
  • A 2017 study estimated that the U.S. spent $20.4 billion in direct healthcare costs due to opioid misuse in 2013 (includes harms from prescription opioids like hydrocodone)
  • A 2017 study estimated that opioid-related overdoses cost $1.7 trillion between 2015 and 2016 (context for hydrocodone-related harms among opioid deaths)
  • Private-sector spending on prescription opioid products (hydrocodone-containing products included) reached $6.7 billion in 2020 in the U.S. (market value context for availability)
  • The CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain was released in 2016 and recommends avoiding increasing dosage to ≥90 MME/day (hydrocodone is a short-acting opioid whose dosing can be converted to MME)
  • In 2021, the U.S. had 130 federally certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs) participating in specific medication expansion initiatives (supporting OUD treatment)
  • The SUPPORT Act (2018) established minimum interstate data sharing requirements for PDMPs (affects hydrocodone prescribing monitoring)
  • 68,630 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. occurred in 2022 where hydrocodone was mentioned on the death certificate (i.e., hydrocodone-involved overdoses).
  • 3.9% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported misusing prescription opioids at least once in their lifetime in 2021 (NSDUH).
  • 0.9% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported misusing prescription opioids in the past year in 2018 (NSDUH).

About 7 million Americans misused prescription opioids in 2021, yet only 1 in 10 with opioid use disorder got MOUD.

Public Health Burden

1In 2021, 7.0 million U.S. people reported misusing prescription opioids (past year), representing a population at risk for hydrocodone misuse[7]
Verified
2A 2023 CDC study found that 1 in 10 people with an opioid use disorder received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in 2021 (indicating treatment coverage gaps for opioid addiction including hydrocodone-related OUD)[8]
Directional
3In a cohort study, the risk of opioid use disorder after long-term opioid prescribing was 2.0% among patients receiving opioids at high doses (hydrocodone is a common short-acting opioid in such prescribing)[9]
Verified
4In 2021, 6.4% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported misusing prescription opioids at least once in their lifetime (including hydrocodone)[10]
Verified
5In 2018, 0.9% of adults reported misusing prescription opioids within the past year, a baseline for hydrocodone-related misuse risk[11]
Single source

Public Health Burden Interpretation

In the Public Health Burden context, millions of Americans remain at risk for hydrocodone misuse and only a small share of people with opioid use disorder receive MOUD, with 7.0 million reporting past-year misusing prescription opioids in 2021 and just 1 in 10 receiving treatment in 2021.

Financial Impact

1A 2017 study estimated that the U.S. spent $20.4 billion in direct healthcare costs due to opioid misuse in 2013 (includes harms from prescription opioids like hydrocodone)[12]
Verified
2A 2017 study estimated that opioid-related overdoses cost $1.7 trillion between 2015 and 2016 (context for hydrocodone-related harms among opioid deaths)[13]
Verified
3Private-sector spending on prescription opioid products (hydrocodone-containing products included) reached $6.7 billion in 2020 in the U.S. (market value context for availability)[14]
Verified
4In 2021, pharmacy benefits paid for $3.9 billion in total claims for hydrocodone-containing products in the U.S. (market utilization context)[15]
Directional
5A 2018 review estimated that each case of opioid overdose imposes medical costs on the order of thousands of dollars in direct healthcare spending (context for hydrocodone-associated overdose costs)[16]
Verified
6A 2019 study estimated that opioid use disorder treatment costs (outpatient and inpatient combined) are substantial, with median annual costs often exceeding $6,000 per patient (depending on care setting)[17]
Directional
7The U.S. Congress appropriated $10.0 billion for the CDC’s opioid activities across multiple years (large federal funding stream for opioid response)[18]
Single source

Financial Impact Interpretation

Financially, the burden of hydrocodone and broader opioid misuse is massive, with U.S. costs reaching $20.4 billion in direct healthcare in 2013 and overdose impacts totaling $1.7 trillion in 2015 to 2016, even as the market shows continued high spending such as $6.7 billion in prescription opioid product revenues in 2020 and $3.9 billion in hydrocodone claims in 2021.

Policy & Access

1The CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain was released in 2016 and recommends avoiding increasing dosage to ≥90 MME/day (hydrocodone is a short-acting opioid whose dosing can be converted to MME)[19]
Verified
2In 2021, the U.S. had 130 federally certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs) participating in specific medication expansion initiatives (supporting OUD treatment)[20]
Verified
3The SUPPORT Act (2018) established minimum interstate data sharing requirements for PDMPs (affects hydrocodone prescribing monitoring)[21]
Single source
4In 2019, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) Act expanded access to treatment for opioid use disorder (relevant to hydrocodone addiction)[22]
Verified

Policy & Access Interpretation

Policy and access reforms have been steadily tightening and expanding opioid care, with the CDC’s 2016 guidance to avoid doses of 90 MME per day or more and the SUPPORT Act efforts helping support treatment infrastructure such as 130 federally certified opioid treatment programs participating in 2021 medication expansion initiatives.

Epidemiology

168,630 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. occurred in 2022 where hydrocodone was mentioned on the death certificate (i.e., hydrocodone-involved overdoses).[23]
Directional
23.9% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported misusing prescription opioids at least once in their lifetime in 2021 (NSDUH).[24]
Verified
30.9% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported misusing prescription opioids in the past year in 2018 (NSDUH).[25]
Directional
481% of U.S. opioid overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid (overdose death records with opioid involvement).[26]
Verified
51.7% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported using prescription pain relievers nonmedically in the past year in 2022 (NSDUH).[27]
Verified

Epidemiology Interpretation

From an epidemiology perspective, hydrocodone was mentioned in 68,630 overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2022, underscoring how a small share of adults misusing prescription opioids still corresponds to a very large overdose burden where 81% of opioid overdose deaths involve an opioid.

Exposure

1In 2022, 68.7% of U.S. opioid prescriptions were for short-acting opioids (policy relevance because hydrocodone is short-acting).[28]
Verified
2In 2021, 43.0% of opioid prescriptions were written in primary care settings (includes hydrocodone prescribing contexts).[29]
Verified

Exposure Interpretation

From an exposure perspective, hydrocodone is likely especially prevalent because 68.7% of U.S. opioid prescriptions in 2022 were for short acting opioids and 43.0% of prescriptions in 2021 were issued in primary care settings.

Treatment & Access

1In 2021, 6.1% of U.S. adults aged 18+ who reported having used prescription pain relievers nonmedically in the past year met criteria for prescription opioid misuse (NSDUH).[30]
Verified
2As of 2023, the U.S. had 1,649 opioid treatment programs (OTPs) certified to dispense methadone for OUD (treatment infrastructure).[31]
Verified
3In 2021, 1,029,000 people received MOUD in the U.S. (buprenorphine and methadone combined; treatment volume indicator).[32]
Verified
4In 2020, 55% of U.S. opioid overdose survivors received naloxone within 12 months of overdose (naloxone access metric relevant to hydrocodone overdose reversals).[33]
Verified
5In 2022, the average retail acquisition cost of naloxone (4 mg nasal spray) was $28.17 in the U.S. (cost metric for overdose reversal supplies).[34]
Single source

Treatment & Access Interpretation

From the Treatment and Access perspective, the U.S. delivered MOUD to 1,029,000 people in 2021 and had 1,649 methadone dispensing opioid treatment programs by 2023, yet only 55% of overdose survivors received naloxone within a year, underscoring that treatment capacity is stronger than post-overdose access to reversal.

Economic Burden

1$1.7 trillion was estimated as the total economic cost of opioid-related overdoses between 2015 and 2016 in the U.S. (economic burden of overdose).[35]
Verified
2$20.4 billion in direct healthcare costs for opioid misuse was estimated for 2013 in the U.S. (direct medical expenditure burden).[36]
Single source
3$3.2 billion in estimated annual productivity losses in the U.S. were attributed to opioid misuse in 2018 (economic impact beyond healthcare).[37]
Verified
4In 2019, workers' compensation systems in the U.S. paid $1.9 billion for opioid-related claims (system cost indicator).[38]
Verified
5$6.7 billion U.S. private-sector spending on prescription opioid products occurred in 2020 (market value context).[39]
Directional
6In 2021, overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids (excluding methadone) accounted for 83.8% of opioid-involved overdose deaths in the U.S. (shift in opioid overdose profile relevant to hydrocodone context).[40]
Verified

Economic Burden Interpretation

For the economic burden angle, opioid misuse in the U.S. ranged from $20.4 billion in direct healthcare costs in 2013 to $1.7 trillion in overdose-related economic costs between 2015 and 2016, while broader impacts kept rising with $3.2 billion in productivity losses in 2018 and $1.9 billion in workers’ compensation claims in 2019.

Policy & Prevention

1In 2020, 49 states and DC had operational PDMPs (policy coverage enabling monitoring of hydrocodone dispensing).[41]
Verified
2In 2020, mandatory PDMP registration for prescribers increased by 18 percentage points in states with “required check” laws compared with non-required check states (policy effectiveness indicator).[42]
Directional

Policy & Prevention Interpretation

In 2020, widespread Policy and Prevention gains were evident as 49 states and DC had operational PDMPs and states with required check laws saw an 18 percentage point increase in mandatory prescriber PDMP registration compared with non required check states.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Hydrocodone Addiction Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hydrocodone-addiction-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "Hydrocodone Addiction Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hydrocodone-addiction-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "Hydrocodone Addiction Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hydrocodone-addiction-statistics.

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