10.1 million U.S. residents aged 12 and older misused prescription pain relievers in the past year. Hydrocodone products rank among the most commonly dispensed opioid analgesics in retail settings. More than half of adults who misuse these drugs obtain them from friends or relatives.
Key Takeaways
- 2.7% of all adults in the U.S. reported misuse of prescription pain relievers in the past year (contains hydrocodone among common prescription opioids).
- 10.1 million U.S. residents aged 12+ misused prescription pain relievers in the past year (includes hydrocodone as a prescription opioid pain reliever).
- The 2014 FDA FDA-approved labeling includes a boxed warning for serious risks including addiction and misuse (regulatory safety requirement for opioid products).
- 54% of adults who misused prescription opioids in the past year obtained them from a friend or relative for free or from a prescription in the home (context for hydrocodone misuse).
- Hydrocodone-containing products comprised $6.0 billion of U.S. opioid analgesic expenditures in 2013 (Medicare Part D spending context).
- Hydrocodone accounted for about 40% of opioid analgesic spending in certain payer cohorts in 2014 (share estimate reported by claim analysis).
- Around 80% of patients with substance use disorders start with misuse of prescription drugs rather than heroin (pathway relevant to misuse of opioids like hydrocodone).
- 2017–2019: 14.6% reduction in opioid prescribing in the U.S. among patients with chronic pain (opioid prescribing trend relevant to hydrocodone-containing products).
- From 2010 to 2017, opioid analgesic prescribing per 100 persons fell by 13.7% in the U.S. (includes hydrocodone).
- In 2022, 3.1 million Americans (12+ years old) reported using prescription pain relievers nonmedically for the first time in the past year.
- The FDA required a boxed warning for opioid analgesics about addiction and misuse risks; this class-level risk information applies to hydrocodone-containing opioid products.
- In 2018, an estimated 2.7 million people in the U.S. used opioids for nonmedical reasons for the first time, which includes nonmedical use of prescription opioids such as hydrocodone.
- In 2022, 14.0 million people aged 12+ reported current (past-year) misuse of prescription drugs; opioid misuse includes prescription opioid drugs such as hydrocodone.
- Hydrocodone was included among the most commonly dispensed opioid analgesics in the U.S. in 2021, with hydrocodone-containing products remaining a leading opioid prescribing category in retail settings.
- In 2017, the U.S. retail market included hydrocodone-containing products among the top opioid analgesics by volume, reflecting continued supply availability for hydrocodone exposure.
In the U.S., about 2.7% of adults misused prescription pain relievers last year, including hydrocodone.
Related reading
01 · Category
Public Health Burden2 stats
01
2.7% of all adults in the U.S. reported misuse of prescription pain relievers in the past year (contains hydrocodone among common prescription opioids).
02
10.1 million U.S. residents aged 12+ misused prescription pain relievers in the past year (includes hydrocodone as a prescription opioid pain reliever).
Interpretation
Public Health Burden Interpretation
In the Public Health Burden context, 2.7% of U.S. adults reported misusing prescription pain relievers in the past year and that translates to 10.1 million residents aged 12 and older, underscoring how widespread hydrocodone-included opioid misuse remains.
02 · Category
Regulatory & Supply1 stats
01
The 2014 FDA FDA-approved labeling includes a boxed warning for serious risks including addiction and misuse (regulatory safety requirement for opioid products).
Interpretation
Regulatory & Supply Interpretation
In 2014, the FDA’s approved labeling for Hydrocodone included a boxed warning for serious risks like addiction and misuse, underscoring how regulatory safety requirements shape opioid product supply and access within the “Regulatory & Supply” category.
03 · Category
Market Size5 stats
01
54% of adults who misused prescription opioids in the past year obtained them from a friend or relative for free or from a prescription in the home (context for hydrocodone misuse).
02
Hydrocodone-containing products comprised $6.0 billion of U.S. opioid analgesic expenditures in 2013 (Medicare Part D spending context).
03
Hydrocodone accounted for about 40% of opioid analgesic spending in certain payer cohorts in 2014 (share estimate reported by claim analysis).
04
In the U.S., 7 in 10 adults who misused prescription opioids reported nonmedical use (supports risk environment around hydrocodone products).
05
Prescription pain reliever misuse prevalence was 9.1% among adults in the U.S. in 2016 (includes common opioids such as hydrocodone).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the Market Size angle, hydrocodone represents a substantial share of the U.S. opioid analgesic market, driving about $6.0 billion in 2013 expenditures and roughly 40% of spending in some payer cohorts in 2014, while misuse remains widespread with 54% of misusers getting opioids from friends or relatives or from prescriptions at home.
04 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
Around 80% of patients with substance use disorders start with misuse of prescription drugs rather than heroin (pathway relevant to misuse of opioids like hydrocodone).
02
2017–2019: 14.6% reduction in opioid prescribing in the U.S. among patients with chronic pain (opioid prescribing trend relevant to hydrocodone-containing products).
03
From 2010 to 2017, opioid analgesic prescribing per 100 persons fell by 13.7% in the U.S. (includes hydrocodone).
04
In 2018, the CDC reported that U.S. opioid prescribing rates decreased for most opioid types, including hydrocodone (CDC prescription surveillance trend).
05
The CDC guideline in 2016 recommends not initiating opioid therapy for pain in certain contexts where benefits do not outweigh risks (guideline policy).
06
20.7% of opioid prescriptions in 2017 were high dose (≥50 MME/day) (risk exposure context for hydrocodone).
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends show meaningful tightening in opioid use in the U.S. as opioid prescribing fell 14.6% from 2017 to 2019 and overall opioid analgesic prescribing per 100 persons dropped 13.7% from 2010 to 2017, with CDC noting declines for most opioid types including hydrocodone.
More related reading
05 · Category
Usage Prevalence1 stats
01
In 2022, 3.1 million Americans (12+ years old) reported using prescription pain relievers nonmedically for the first time in the past year.
Interpretation
Usage Prevalence Interpretation
In the Usage Prevalence category, 3.1 million Americans age 12 and older reported using prescription pain relievers nonmedically for the first time in 2022, underscoring how new entry into this misuse remains substantial.
06 · Category
Regulatory & Safety3 stats
01
The FDA required a boxed warning for opioid analgesics about addiction and misuse risks; this class-level risk information applies to hydrocodone-containing opioid products.
02
In 2018, an estimated 2.7 million people in the U.S. used opioids for nonmedical reasons for the first time, which includes nonmedical use of prescription opioids such as hydrocodone.
03
In 2022, 14.0 million people aged 12+ reported current (past-year) misuse of prescription drugs; opioid misuse includes prescription opioid drugs such as hydrocodone.
Interpretation
Regulatory & Safety Interpretation
Regulatory safety efforts remain critical because FDA class-level boxed warnings on addiction and misuse for opioid analgesics apply to hydrocodone, even as nonmedical opioid use reaches about 2.7 million new users in 2018 and misuse of prescription drugs involving opioids affects 14.0 million people in 2022.
07 · Category
Market & Supply2 stats
01
Hydrocodone was included among the most commonly dispensed opioid analgesics in the U.S. in 2021, with hydrocodone-containing products remaining a leading opioid prescribing category in retail settings.
02
In 2017, the U.S. retail market included hydrocodone-containing products among the top opioid analgesics by volume, reflecting continued supply availability for hydrocodone exposure.
Interpretation
Market & Supply Interpretation
In 2021, hydrocodone-containing products stayed among the most commonly dispensed opioid analgesics in the U.S., and they had also been top-volume opioid analgesics in retail as far back as 2017, underscoring steady market supply and availability for hydrocodone exposure.
08 · Category
Mortality & Outcomes2 stats
01
In 2022, 6.8 million people aged 12+ met criteria for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the past year, capturing disorders that may involve prescription opioids like hydrocodone.
02
In 2017, an estimated 2.0 million people aged 12+ in the U.S. had opioid use disorder (OUD), which includes OUD related to nonmedical use of prescription opioids such as hydrocodone.
Interpretation
Mortality & Outcomes Interpretation
In the Mortality & Outcomes context, the number of people aged 12 and older meeting criteria for opioid use disorder rose from an estimated 2.0 million in 2017 to 6.8 million in 2022, underscoring the growing scale of opioid-related harm that can involve prescription drugs like hydrocodone.
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
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Hydrocodone Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hydrocodone-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Hydrocodone Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hydrocodone-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Hydrocodone Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hydrocodone-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)