# US drug overdose death rate by president, 1999–2024

Source page: https://govargus.com/indicators/overdose-deaths

Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people, age-adjusted. Two CDC datasets joined at 2018, where both report the same value. Final data starts in 1999. Points after the last final year are provisional rolling 12-month rates from the CDC's quarterly estimates, shown dashed.

Latest: 20.8 per 100k (12 mo. to Jun 2025, provisional).
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, via data.cdc.gov (https://data.cdc.gov/d/rdjz-vn2n). Annual data, fetched Oct 19, 2026.

Since 1999, the drug overdose death rate ranged from 6.1 per 100k in 1999 under Bill Clinton to 32.6 per 100k in 2022 under Joe Biden. Of the 4 completed terms with data, the drug overdose death rate rose fastest under Donald Trump (1st term), at +2.13 per 100k/yr against +1.68 per 100k/yr in the four years before, and fell fastest under Joe Biden, at −1.30 per 100k/yr against +2.13 per 100k/yr in the four years before. So far under Donald Trump (2nd term), it has gone from 23.1 per 100k in 2024 to 20.8 per 100k in 12 mo. to Jun 2025.

## By presidential term

Each row is the value at the last full period before inauguration and at the end of the term, with the yearly rate of change, next to the rate of change over the four years before the term (the trend it inherited). A term's first year mostly reflects the previous administration's policies, and Congress, the Federal Reserve and the world economy move these numbers too. Govargus describes; it does not score presidents.

| President | Term | During term | 4 years before |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Donald Trump (2nd term) | 2025–present | 23.1 per 100k → 20.8 per 100k (−4.62 per 100k/yr, through Jun 2025) | −1.30 per 100k/yr |
| Joe Biden | 2021–2025 | 28.3 per 100k → 23.1 per 100k (−1.30 per 100k/yr) | +2.13 per 100k/yr |
| Donald Trump (1st term) | 2017–2021 | 19.8 per 100k → 28.3 per 100k (+2.13 per 100k/yr) | +1.68 per 100k/yr |
| Barack Obama | 2009–2017 | 11.9 per 100k → 19.8 per 100k (+0.99 per 100k/yr) | +0.63 per 100k/yr |
| George W. Bush | 2001–2009 | 6.2 per 100k → 11.9 per 100k (+0.71 per 100k/yr) | — |
| Bill Clinton | 1993–2001 | no data | no data |
| George H. W. Bush | 1989–1993 | no data | no data |
| Ronald Reagan | 1981–1989 | no data | no data |
| Jimmy Carter | 1977–1981 | no data | no data |

## Events that bear on this indicator

- Mar 23, 2010, law: Affordable Care Act signed. Medicaid expansion, subsidized insurance marketplaces and an individual mandate; main coverage provisions start in 2014.
- Oct 26, 2017, executive action: Opioid crisis declared a public health emergency. The administration declares a nationwide public health emergency over opioid overdoses.
- Oct 24, 2018, law: SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. Bipartisan opioid package expanding addiction treatment, prevention and Medicaid coverage for recovery.
- Mar 11, 2020, shock: COVID-19 declared a pandemic. Lockdowns push unemployment to 14.8% in April 2020.