From 2002 to 2018, the Black unintentional drug overdose rate was lower than the White rate. The lowest Black/White ratio was in 2010, with the Black rate at 55% of the White rate. In 2023, the Black rate was 164% of the White rate, despite the White rate being over double what it was in 2010.
Due to changes in the way the CDC handled Asian in 2018, the Asian rates on our chart only begin this year. The “Asian/Pacific Islander” category was divided into Asian and Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders. These two separate categories have very different rates.
Note: We have also published a list of rates by state for 2022.
