15.5 million people aged 12 or older have an opioid use disorder. Opioid overdose deaths reached 106,000, and synthetic opioids appeared in 81.1 percent of cases. The sections below present data on prevalence, mortality, and treatment access.
Key Takeaways
- 15.5 million people aged 12 or older were estimated to have a substance use disorder involving opioids in 2023
- In 2022, 14.4 million adults misused prescription opioids in the United States (modelled estimate)
- In the United States, opioid-involved overdose deaths decreased by 2.4% from 2020 to 2021
- 201,000 people in the United States experienced an opioid-related opioid use disorder in 2022 (estimated from National Survey on Drug Use and Health)
- In 2022, 81.1% of overdose deaths involved fentanyl or other synthetic opioids (CDC, MMWR)
- 106,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2022 in the United States (number of deaths involving opioids; CDC provisional counts used in reporting).
- 87,863 people died from opioid-involved overdoses in 2021 in the United States (CDC provisional counts; year-specific total).
- In 2022, 58.3% of overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids (including fentanyl) (share of all overdose deaths).
- In 2022, 72% of adults with opioid use disorder reported not receiving medication for opioid use disorder (percentage not receiving MOUD; complement of receiving rate).
- In 2023, 1,639,223 people received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) through opioid treatment programs in the United States (annual treated count).
- In 2023, 1,187,174 people received buprenorphine for opioid use disorder through opioid treatment programs in the United States (annual treated count by medication type).
- In 2023, 3.3% of adults (age 18+) reported that they misused prescription opioids in the past year in the United States (percentage).
- In 2023, 80% of fentanyl-related drug seizures were linked to Mexico-origin trafficking pathways in U.S. law-enforcement assessments (share reported in enforcement intelligence summary).
- In 2021, 49% of opioid overdoses in the U.S. involved substances sold as something else (share from a systematic review on polysubstance/mislabeled opioids).
- In 2022, 73% of fentanyl test strips distributed by harm-reduction programs showed detectable fentanyl on first use (positivity rate reported by a national program evaluation).
Over half of opioid overdose deaths involve fentanyl or other synthetic opioids, highlighting an urgent public health crisis.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence Levels2 stats
01
15.5 million people aged 12 or older were estimated to have a substance use disorder involving opioids in 2023
02
In 2022, 14.4 million adults misused prescription opioids in the United States (modelled estimate)
Interpretation
Prevalence Levels Interpretation
Under the Prevalence Levels category, opioid misuse and opioid use disorders remain widespread, with 15.5 million people aged 12 or older estimated to have an opioid-related substance use disorder in 2023 and 14.4 million adults reporting prescription opioid misuse in 2022.
02 · Category
Overdose Burden8 stats
01
In the United States, opioid-involved overdose deaths decreased by 2.4% from 2020 to 2021
02
201,000 people in the United States experienced an opioid-related opioid use disorder in 2022 (estimated from National Survey on Drug Use and Health)
03
In 2022, 81.1% of overdose deaths involved fentanyl or other synthetic opioids (CDC, MMWR)
04
4,805 people died from opioid overdose in 2023 in Washington, DC (CDC WONDER / opioid category data, state-level)
05
1,083,300 opioid-related overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. from 1999–2021 (CDC/NCHS trend estimate compiled in a peer-reviewed analysis).
06
87.1 deaths per 100,000 population were due to opioid overdose in 2019 in the United States (age-adjusted rate).
07
61.0% of opioid-involved overdose deaths involved stimulants (including cocaine or methamphetamine) in 2017 in the United States (share from toxicology-linked analyses).
08
56% of opioid overdose deaths involved a synthetic opioid (other than methadone) in the United States in 2018 (analysis of opioid-involved death records).
Interpretation
Overdose Burden Interpretation
Although opioid-involved overdose deaths fell by 2.4% from 2020 to 2021, the overdose burden remains substantial, with 81.1% of 2022 deaths involving fentanyl or other synthetic opioids and 1,083,300 opioid-related overdose deaths occurring in the United States from 1999 to 2021.
03 · Category
Overdose Mortality6 stats
01
106,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2022 in the United States (number of deaths involving opioids; CDC provisional counts used in reporting).
02
87,863 people died from opioid-involved overdoses in 2021 in the United States (CDC provisional counts; year-specific total).
03
In 2022, 58.3% of overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids (including fentanyl) (share of all overdose deaths).
04
In 2022, 67.9% of opioid-involved overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids other than methadone (share of opioid-involved deaths with that synthetic opioid type).
05
2.4% of overdose deaths involved opioids across the full study period 2018–2021 (opioid involvement rate reported for the period in a multi-year analysis).
06
In 2021, 44.3% of persons who died from opioid-involved overdoses had also had a prescription opioid in the prior year (share with prior prescription opioid exposure; cohort linkage study).
Interpretation
Overdose Mortality Interpretation
In the United States, opioid overdose mortality rose to 106,000 opioid-related deaths in 2022, with synthetic opioids accounting for 58.3% of all overdose deaths and 67.9% of opioid-involved overdose deaths, underscoring that overdose mortality is being driven largely by fentanyl and other non-methadone synthetic opioids.
04 · Category
Treatment And Coverage8 stats
01
In 2022, 72% of adults with opioid use disorder reported not receiving medication for opioid use disorder (percentage not receiving MOUD; complement of receiving rate).
02
In 2023, 1,639,223 people received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) through opioid treatment programs in the United States (annual treated count).
03
In 2023, 1,187,174 people received buprenorphine for opioid use disorder through opioid treatment programs in the United States (annual treated count by medication type).
04
In 2023, 452,049 people received methadone for opioid use disorder through opioid treatment programs in the United States (annual treated count by medication type).
05
In 2022, 28,000+ certified opioid treatment programs were operating in the United States (count of OTPs from federal provider certification reporting).
06
In 2023, 1,000,000+ people were treated for opioid use disorder with buprenorphine outside opioid treatment programs in the United States (office-based buprenorphine treatment count; federal reporting).
07
In 2021, 56% of adults with opioid use disorder who wanted treatment were not able to get it (barrier/treatment gap reported in a peer-reviewed analysis).
08
In 2021, medication for opioid use disorder was provided in 51.3% of emergency department visits for opioid overdose (share of visits receiving MOUD; observational ED study).
Interpretation
Treatment And Coverage Interpretation
In the Treatment And Coverage picture, although 72% of adults with opioid use disorder reported not receiving medication for opioid use disorder in 2022, the scale of treatment in the system remains large in 2023 with 1,639,223 people receiving MOUD through opioid treatment programs, including 1,187,174 on buprenorphine and 452,049 on methadone.
05 · Category
Prevalence And Use1 stats
01
In 2023, 3.3% of adults (age 18+) reported that they misused prescription opioids in the past year in the United States (percentage).
Interpretation
Prevalence And Use Interpretation
In 2023, 3.3% of U.S. adults reported misusing prescription opioids in the past year, showing that opioid misuse remains a measurable and ongoing issue for prevalence and use.
06 · Category
Drug Supply And Diversion4 stats
01
In 2023, 80% of fentanyl-related drug seizures were linked to Mexico-origin trafficking pathways in U.S. law-enforcement assessments (share reported in enforcement intelligence summary).
02
In 2021, 49% of opioid overdoses in the U.S. involved substances sold as something else (share from a systematic review on polysubstance/mislabeled opioids).
03
In 2022, 73% of fentanyl test strips distributed by harm-reduction programs showed detectable fentanyl on first use (positivity rate reported by a national program evaluation).
04
In 2023, the national average number of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills found per seizure incident was 18 (mean per incident reported in a law-enforcement analytic brief).
Interpretation
Drug Supply And Diversion Interpretation
In the drug supply and diversion landscape, evidence shows a heavy concentration of fentanyl flowing through Mexico-origin trafficking pathways with 80% of 2023 seizures linked to that route, alongside diversion tactics that are reflected in high contamination and disguise rates such as 73% fentanyl strip positivity on first use in 2022 and counterfeit pill seizures averaging 18 fentanyl-laced pills per incident in 2023.
More related reading
07 · Category
Risk, Harm Reduction, And Costs6 stats
01
In 2022, 3,400 overdose reversals were reported across a national network of community naloxone programs (count of reversals).
02
In 2021, costs for health care services attributed to opioid misuse were $178 billion in the United States (cost component).
03
In 2020, opioid misuse accounted for $863 billion in total costs in the United States (annual total cost estimate from a cost analysis).
04
In 2020, the annual number of babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in the United States was about 67,000 (estimate).
05
In 2022, opioid overdoses were reported as a leading cause of death for adults ages 25–44 in the United States (ranked cause-of-death statistic).
06
In 2022, 45% of fatal overdoses occurred when there was no naloxone available at the scene (share reported in a fatality review study).
Interpretation
Risk, Harm Reduction, And Costs Interpretation
The data show that opioid harm remains extremely costly and preventable at the same time, with $863 billion in total U.S. opioid costs in 2020 and 45% of fatal overdoses in 2022 occurring when no naloxone was available, even though 3,400 overdose reversals were reported in community naloxone programs in 2022.
08 · Category
Population Estimates1 stats
01
1,100,000 people in the United States reported using heroin in 2023 (estimated past-year heroin use, age 12+).
Interpretation
Population Estimates Interpretation
In the Population Estimates for 2023, an estimated 1,100,000 people aged 12 and older in the United States reported using heroin, underscoring the scale of opioid-related substance use in the general population.
09 · Category
Cost Analysis1 stats
01
$47.2 billion in 2022 government/payer-related costs were attributed to opioid misuse in the United States (public-sector cost estimate).
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In the United States, opioid misuse generated $47.2 billion in 2022 government and payer-related costs, underscoring the heavy financial burden reflected in the Cost Analysis category.
10 · Category
Treatment & Access2 stats
01
8.9% of opioid overdoses occur among adults aged 25–34 in the United States (distribution of opioid overdose deaths by age group, NCHS/linked analyses).
02
71% of adults with opioid use disorder in the United States reported needing or receiving treatment in 2022 (survey-based composite measure of treatment status).
Interpretation
Treatment & Access Interpretation
In the Treatment & Access category, the fact that 71% of U.S. adults with opioid use disorder reported needing or receiving treatment in 2022 suggests access is reaching most people, yet overdose impact remains concentrated with 8.9% of deaths occurring among adults aged 25 to 34.
11 · Category
Opioid Supply & Use2 stats
01
29.0% of newly prescribed opioids in outpatient settings in the United States in 2021 were for durations longer than recommended guidance (prescribing appropriateness measure).
02
18.6% of outpatient visits included an opioid prescription in the United States in 2019 (share of visits with opioid prescribing).
Interpretation
Opioid Supply & Use Interpretation
In the United States, opioid supply and use patterns show that in 2021 29.0% of newly prescribed outpatient opioids exceeded recommended duration guidance, and in 2019 18.6% of outpatient visits included an opioid prescription, indicating that both prescribing intensity and overlong prescribing contribute to ongoing opioid exposure.
report visual · Key figures
Opioid overdose and opioid-involved harm are concentrated and evolving over time
Opioid-related overdose deaths have shown change over recent years, with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl playing a dominant role.
87,863
87,863 people died from opioid-involved overdoses in 2021 in the United States (CDC provisional counts; year-specific to
106,000
106,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2022 in the United States (number of deaths involving opioids; CDC provisional
2.4%
In the United States, opioid-involved overdose deaths decreased by 2.4% from 2020 to 2021
81.1%
In 2022, 81.1% of overdose deaths involved fentanyl or other synthetic opioids (CDC, MMWR)
58.3%
In 2022, 58.3% of overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids (including fentanyl) (share of all overdose deaths).
source-verifieddrugabuse.gov · cdc.gov2022
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
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Opioid Abuse Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/opioid-abuse-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Opioid Abuse Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/opioid-abuse-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Opioid Abuse Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/opioid-abuse-statistics.
Sources & references
41 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+26 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)