Historical trend
Trend summary
There were 4,907 drug poisoning deaths registered in England and Wales in 2023, the highest annual total on record.
Trend
- Drug poisoning deaths have risen in nine of the past ten years for which ONS data is available.
- The rate per million population has risen from around 30 in 2012 to around 81 in 2023.
- The majority of deaths involve opiates; heroin and morphine account for the largest share in recent years.
Context
- ONS drug poisoning statistics record deaths where a drug was the underlying cause; they include accidental deaths, suicides, and undetermined-intent cases.
- Figures cover England and Wales only; Scotland and Northern Ireland are published separately and show higher rates per head.
Commentary contains no editorial judgement — describes direction, magnitude, and official projections only.