California Public Health Statistics
Overdose Death Rate
21.7
per 100K (2024)
Total Overdose Deaths
9,687
2024
Chlamydia Rate
563.1
per 100K (2022)
Drug Overdose Deaths
Source: CDC / NCHS (2024)Total Deaths
9,687
2024
Age-Adjusted Rate
21.7
per 100K
Opioid Deaths
5,929
2024
Fentanyl Deaths
5,265
synthetic opioids
Note: 2024 data is provisional and subject to revision.
In 2024, California recorded 9,687 drug overdose deaths, an age-adjusted rate of 21.7 per 100,000 residents. This ranks California #27 of 50 among states for overdose death rate (highest to lowest). Opioids were involved in 5,929 deaths (61%). Synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) accounted for 5,265 deaths.
Drug Overdose Deaths by Year
| Year | Deaths | Rate/100K | Opioid | Fentanyl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9,687 | 21.7 | 5,929 | 5,265 |
| 2023 | 12,369 | 27.9 | 8,653 | 7,954 |
| 2022 | 11,761 | N/A | 7,929 | 7,045 |
| 2021 | 11,398 | N/A | 7,538 | 6,411 |
| 2020 | 9,209 | N/A | 5,707 | 4,195 |
| 2019 | 6,363 | N/A | 3,324 | 1,727 |
| 2018 | 5,494 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017 | 5,028 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2016 | 4,755 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2015 | 4,762 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Drug Overdose Deaths by Year — Total, Opioid & Fentanyl
Age-Adjusted Overdose Death Rate by State (2024)
Drug Type Breakdown
Source: CDC / NCHS (2024)Opioids
5,929
all opioids
Synthetic Opioids
5,265
fentanyl
Heroin
259
Cocaine
1,328
Psychostimulants
5,685
meth & similar
Drug categories are not mutually exclusive — a single death can involve multiple substances. For example, a death involving both fentanyl and cocaine would be counted in both the synthetic opioid and cocaine totals. In California, synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) were involved in 54% of all overdose deaths in 2024. Psychostimulants (primarily methamphetamine) were involved in 59% of deaths.
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Source: CDC STI Surveillance (2022)Chlamydia Rate
563.1
per 100K
Gonorrhea Rate
185.8
per 100K
Syphilis Rate
23.30
P&S per 100K
Congenital Syphilis
966
cases
In 2022, California reported a chlamydia rate of 563.1 per 100,000 (218,025 total cases), a gonorrhea rate of 185.8 per 100,000 (71,968 cases), and a primary & secondary syphilis rate of 23.30 per 100,000. California ranks #9 of 50 states for chlamydia rate (highest to lowest). There were 966 reported cases of congenital syphilis.
Chlamydia Rate per 100K by State (2022)
Gonorrhea Rate per 100K by State (2022)
Reproductive Health
Source: CDC Abortion Surveillance (2021)California does not report abortion data to the CDC. (Does not report to CDC) National totals from the CDC exclude non-reporting states.
California vs National Average
| Metric | California | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Overdose Death Rate (per 100K) | 21.7 | 24.7 |
| Total Overdose Deaths | 9,687 | 78,194 |
| Chlamydia Rate (per 100K) | 563.1 | 483.3 |
| Gonorrhea Rate (per 100K) | 185.8 | 142.2 |
National average computed as the mean of all 50 state values. Abortion national average is not shown because 3 states do not report to the CDC.