In 2022, the final federal data released on Thursday reported that approximately 108,000 people in the United States passed away due to drug overdoses.

In the past twenty years, the amount of overdose deaths in the United States has consistently increased and set new yearly records, creating the most severe overdose crisis in American history.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the confirmed figure for the year 2022 was 107,941, which represents an increase of approximately 1% compared to the approximately 107,000 overdose deaths recorded in 2021.

Initial preliminary figures projected over 109,000 fatalities from drug overdoses in the year 2022. However, these preliminary numbers encompass all overdose deaths, whereas the final numbers are based only on fatalities among U.S. citizens.

According to the report, while the male overdose death rate continues to slowly rise, there has been a decrease in the female overdose death rate for the first time in five years. Males still make up approximately 70% of all overdose deaths in the United States.

The overall rate of death from drug overdoses increased from 2021 to 2022, but the amount was too small to be considered statistically significant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not yet published statistics on drug overdoses from last year. However, preliminary data from the first ten months of the year indicate that the number of overdose deaths remained unchanged in 2023.

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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support to the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is solely responsible for all of its content.