New drug deaths study: Hungary did exceptionally well
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A new drug death study has published the number of people who have died from drug overdoses. Where in the world are the most drug-related deaths proportionately? Or where were they least experienced? Here are the answers.
Over 150,000 people die as a result of drug overdose globally every year. The research by Medical Aid analysed the number of deaths from drug use disorders and its rate per 100k people in 2019 to reveal the countries with the highest and lowest number of drug overdose deaths.
Most Deaths from Drug Overdoses per 100,000 People
United States
- Deaths per 100,000 people – 22.62
- Overall deaths – 74,435
At the top of the list is the United States, where there are 22.62 drug-related deaths per 100,000 people, equating to 74,435 deaths overall. In 2019, it was estimated that there are around 10.7 million people living in the U.S. who are battling a drug use disorder. This figure has nearly doubled since 1990 when there were 5.5 million people engaging in regular drug use, showing a huge increase of 91%.
Canada
- Deaths per 100,000 people – 9.86
- Overall deaths – 3,686
In second place is Canada, where there are 9.86 drug-related deaths per 100,000 people, with 3,686 deaths overall. Back in 1990, it was estimated that there were 511,784 people battling a drug use disorder in Canada. By 2019, this figure had increased by a considerable 54% to 789,317 people.
Australia
- Deaths per 100,000 people – 7.07
- Overall deaths – 1,783
Australia is in third place, where, in 2019, there were 7.07 drug-related deaths per 100,000 people and 1,783 deaths overall. Despite having the third highest number of drug-related deaths per 100,000 people, the number of Australian citizens battling a drug use disorder has only risen by 24% since 1990.
