Poisoning patterns change quickly, with opioids driving many U.S. deaths and pesticides fueling global fatalities. In 2022, U.S. poison centers received 2.18 million calls about human exposures, while unintentional poisoning caused an estimated 193,000 deaths worldwide in 2019. Comparing what shows up most in calls with what leads to death by age, sex, and setting helps explain the gaps between exposure and harm.
Key Takeaways
- In the U.S., analgesics were involved in 12% of exposures in 2022
- Globally, pesticides cause 20% of suicides by poisoning
- Opioids topped U.S. poisoning deaths at 75% in 2021
- In the U.S., males accounted for 54% of poisoning deaths in 2021
- Children under 5 represent 50% of U.S. poisoning exposures
- Globally, 80% of poisoning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries
- U.S. poison control cost $1.2 billion in healthcare in 2021
- Global economic burden of poisoning $200 billion annually
- U.S. opioid poisonings cost $1 trillion 2015-2020
- In 2022, U.S. poison centers received 2.18 million calls about human exposures to poisons
- Globally, an estimated 193,000 people died from unintentional poisoning in 2019
- In the EU, poisoning incidents accounted for 7.4% of all chemical incidents reported in 2020
- In 2021, poisoning caused 91,868 deaths worldwide
- U.S. saw 106,699 drug poisoning deaths in 2021
- Opioid overdoses killed 80,411 in the U.S. in 2021
Poisoning harms millions worldwide, with opioids, pesticides, and household chemicals driving most deaths and exposures.
Related reading
01 · Category
Agents19 stats
01
In the U.S., analgesics were involved in 12% of exposures in 2022
02
Globally, pesticides cause 20% of suicides by poisoning
03
Opioids topped U.S. poisoning deaths at 75% in 2021
04
Household cleaners: 10% of child exposures worldwide
05
In India, organophosphates in 62% of pesticide poisonings
06
UK: Alcohol involved in 25% of poisoning deaths
07
Cosmetics and personal care: 8% of U.S. exposures
08
Carbon monoxide: 400 U.S. deaths yearly
09
In Australia, pharmaceuticals 50% of calls
10
Plants and mushrooms: 5% global cases
11
Canada: Stimulants in 30% poisoning deaths
12
Brazil: Cleaning products 15% of notifications
13
China: Rodenticides 10% rural poisonings
14
South Africa: Paracetamol top pharmaceutical
15
Russia: Alcohol 40% of acute poisonings
16
Mexico: Methanol 20% of toxic alcohol deaths
17
Japan: Agricultural chemicals 25% suicides
18
Germany: Sedatives 15% exposures
19
France: Bites/stings 12% calls
Interpretation
Agents Interpretation
The grim global menu of poison reveals a sobering truth: from the domestic cabinets where cleaning agents lure curious children to the desperate fields where pesticides end lives, our world is perilously seasoned with substances that heal, clean, and harm in tragically equal measure.
02 · Category
Demographics20 stats
01
In the U.S., males accounted for 54% of poisoning deaths in 2021
02
Children under 5 represent 50% of U.S. poisoning exposures
03
Globally, 80% of poisoning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries
04
In the U.S., adults 25-44 had highest poisoning death rate at 36.7 per 100,000 in 2021
05
Females made up 45% of U.S. poisoning calls in 2022
06
In India, 60% of pesticide poisonings affected males aged 20-40
07
UK drug poisonings: 70% male victims in 2021
08
Globally, children under 14 comprise 30% of poisoning cases
09
U.S. elderly over 65: 12% of poisoning exposures but 20% fatalities
10
In Australia, Indigenous populations had 3x higher poisoning hospitalization rates
11
Canada: 55% of poisoning deaths in males 25-44
12
Brazil: 65% of acute poisonings in females under 20
13
China: Rural males 70% of pesticide deaths
14
South Africa: Children under 10: 40% of poisonings
15
Russia: 50% poisoning deaths in working-age adults
16
Mexico: Urban areas 60% of cases, rural 40%
17
Japan: Elderly 65+ 35% of accidental poisonings
18
Germany: Immigrants 20% higher risk
19
France: Males 75% of occupational poisonings
20
Italy: Southern regions 25% higher incidence
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
While the grim global ledger of poisoning reveals a universal vulnerability—spiking for young adults in wealthier nations and hitting hardest the poor worldwide—it also lays bare a deeply human map of risk, painting dangers shaped by gender, labor, age, geography, and the stark inequality of access to safety.
03 · Category
Healthcare Impact18 stats
01
U.S. poison control cost $1.2 billion in healthcare in 2021
02
Global economic burden of poisoning $200 billion annually
03
U.S. opioid poisonings cost $1 trillion 2015-2020
04
Child poisoning ER visits cost $500 million yearly in U.S.
05
India pesticide poisonings burden $1.5 billion GDP loss
06
UK NHS spends £500 million on poisoning treatments yearly
07
Australia poisoning hospitalizations $300 million cost
08
Canada opioid response $10 billion over 5 years
09
Brazil SINAN system processes 100,000 cases costing millions
10
China poisoning treatments exceed 10 million hospital days
11
South Africa poison unit handles 20,000 cases at R50 million cost
12
Russia healthcare expenditure on poisonings 2% of total
13
Mexico intoxication care $500 million USD equivalent
14
Japan poison centers funded at 5 billion yen yearly
15
Germany BfR invests €20 million in prevention
16
France CAPTV network €15 million budget
17
Italy ISS poisoning surveillance €10 million
18
Sweden Folkhälsomyndigheten allocates SEK 100 million
Interpretation
Healthcare Impact Interpretation
The sheer, staggering global cost of poisoning reveals a sobering truth: our collective carelessness is a luxury we can no longer afford, and the bill, from children's wards to national economies, has come due.
More related reading
04 · Category
Incidence20 stats
01
In 2022, U.S. poison centers received 2.18 million calls about human exposures to poisons
02
Globally, an estimated 193,000 people died from unintentional poisoning in 2019
03
In the EU, poisoning incidents accounted for 7.4% of all chemical incidents reported in 2020
04
Australia reported 47,000 poisoning cases to poisons information centres in 2021
05
In India, over 50,000 poisoning cases were admitted to hospitals annually as of 2018
06
Canada saw 14,782 poisoning-related hospitalizations in 2019-2020
07
UK poisonings via National Poisons Information Service handled 52,000 queries in 2021
08
Brazil reported 92,000 poisoning notifications in 2020
09
In South Africa, 12% of trauma admissions in 2019 were due to poisoning
10
China estimated 1.2 million acute poisoning cases yearly in 2020
11
Mexico had 25,000 poisoning deaths from 2010-2020
12
Japan poison control centers managed 35,000 cases in 2021
13
In 2021, U.S. saw 1.8 million poisoning exposures in children under 6
14
Russia reported 120,000 poisoning cases in 2019
15
Germany had 45,000 poisoning consultations in 2020
16
France poison control centers received 78,000 calls in 2021
17
In 2020, global poisoning incidence rate was 24.6 per 100,000
18
Italy reported 22,000 acute poisonings in 2019
19
Sweden saw 8,500 poisoning cases in 2021
20
In 2022, U.S. poison centers noted a 10% increase in exposures
Interpretation
Incidence Interpretation
The sheer volume of global poisonings reveals a sobering truth: that despite our modern advances, we remain remarkably adept at accidentally turning our daily environment into a hazard, with millions of calls and hospital visits serving as a stark annual reminder to read the label, watch the toddler, and maybe lock the cabinet.
05 · Category
Mortality19 stats
01
In 2021, poisoning caused 91,868 deaths worldwide
02
U.S. saw 106,699 drug poisoning deaths in 2021
03
Opioid overdoses killed 80,411 in the U.S. in 2021
04
Global age-standardized poisoning death rate was 10.6 per 100,000 in 2019
05
In 2020, 22,290 Americans died from non-opioid poisonings
06
UK had 5,016 drug poisoning deaths in 2021
07
Australia recorded 2,200 poisoning deaths in 2021
08
India saw 11,000 pesticide poisoning deaths annually circa 2019
09
Canada reported 7,328 apparent poisoning deaths in 2021
10
Brazil had 13,000 poisoning deaths in 2020
11
In China, 40,000 died from poisoning in 2018
12
South Africa recorded 3,500 poisoning deaths in 2019
13
Russia saw 15,000 poisoning deaths in 2020
14
Mexico had 12,000 poisoning-related deaths in 2021
15
Japan reported 3,200 poisoning suicides in 2020
16
Germany had 1,800 acute poisoning deaths in 2019
17
France saw 900 poisoning deaths excluding suicides in 2020
18
Global child poisoning mortality was 45,000 in 2019
19
Italy recorded 1,200 poisoning deaths in 2021
Interpretation
Mortality Interpretation
The grim arithmetic of these statistics reveals that whether by accident or intent, the modern world has concocted a vast and varied menu of ways for us to be poisoned, with the United States specializing tragically in the opioid course.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 27). Poisoning Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/poisoning-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Poisoning Statistics." Gitnux, 27 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/poisoning-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Poisoning Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/poisoning-statistics.
Sources & references
52 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level