Drug-Induced Mortality in the US, by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

"In 2021, a total of 111,219 people died of drug-induced causes in the United States (Tables 7, 9, and 23). The category of drug-induced causes includes deaths from drug overdose as well as from other medical conditions caused by use of legal or illegal drugs. In 2021, drug-overdose deaths accounted for 95.9% of all drug-induced deaths (Tables 7 and 9). The drug-induced category excludes deaths indirectly related to drug use, as well as newborn deaths due to the mother’s drug use. (For a list of all drug-induced causes, including those specifically classified as drug-overdose causes, see Technical Notes.)

"The age-adjusted death rate for drug-induced causes increased 13.9% for the total population from 29.5 in 2020 to 33.6 in 2021 (Tables 6, 11, and 23). For males in 2021, the ageadjusted death rate for drug-induced causes was 2.3 times the rate for females. The rate increased by 13.9% for males and by 14.0% for females from 2020 to 2021 (Tables 11 and 23).

"Among race–ethnicity groups—Age-adjusted rates increased from 2020 and 2021 by 33.9% for the American Indian and Alaska Native population (36.2% for American Indian and Alaska Native males and 29.1% for American Indian and Alaska Native females), 22.8% for the Black population (21.8% for Black males and 23.9% for Black females), 19.0% for the Hispanic population (17.5% for Hispanic males and 22.8% for Hispanic females), 47.9% for the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population (48.0% for Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander males), and 10.7% for the White population (10.6% for White males and 10.7% for White females) (Tables 11 and 23). Changes in age-adjusted rates from 2020 to 2021 were not significant for the Asian population or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander females."