Substance Use Disorders and Addiction: 2025 Statistics
Substance use disorders claim millions of lives each year—but most people who need help never receive it. This guide breaks down key global and U.S. statistics on how widespread SUDs are, who’s most affected, and what’s being done to close the treatment gap and support recovery.
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A Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a treatable mental health condition that occurs when the recurrent use of alcohol or drugs causes significant impairment, such as health problems, disability, or failure to meet major responsibilities. Globally, substance misuse is a major public health crisis, taking an enormous toll on individuals, families, and society.
The headline statistic from the World Health Organisation reveals the scale of this crisis: globally, the harmful use of alcohol and drugs results in over 3 million deaths each year. This figure, which includes deaths from overdose, related diseases, and injuries, highlights the life-threatening consequences of untreated substance use disorders.
- Overall Prevalence and General Numbers
- Breakdown by Key Demographics
- Co-occurrence and Related Conditions
- The Most Serious Consequences
- The Positive Outlook and Solutions
- Conclusion
- Sources
Overall Prevalence and General Numbers
- Global Prevalence: In 2019, an estimated 400 million people lived with alcohol use disorders globally.
- U.S. Prevalence: In 2023, an estimated 48.5 million people in the U.S. aged 12 or older (17.1% of the population) had a substance use disorder in the past year.
- Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD): 28.9 million people.
- Drug Use Disorder (DUD): 27.2 million people.
- Both AUD and DUD: 7.5 million people.
- Contribution to Mortality: Alcohol use alone is responsible for 4.7% of all deaths globally each year.
Breakdown by Key Demographics
- By Age: In the U.S., SUDs are most prevalent among young adults aged 18-25, with 27.1% having an SUD in the past year. Globally, young people aged 20-39 account for the highest proportion (13%) of alcohol-attributable deaths.
- By Gender: The fatal impact of substance use is far greater for men. Globally, men account for 2 million of the 2.6 million alcohol-related deaths and 0.4 million of the 0.6 million drug-related deaths each year.
- By Race and Ethnicity: In the U.S., fatal overdose rates are disproportionately high. In 2021, Black and American Indian/Alaska Native people had the highest rates of fatal overdose.
Co-occurrence and Related Conditions
- High Comorbidity: In the U.S., adults with any mental illness (AMI) or serious mental illness (SMI) are significantly more likely to use illicit drugs than those with no mental illness.
- Adults with SMI: 51.9% used illicit drugs in the past year.
- Adults with AMI: 42.4% used illicit drugs.
- Adults with no mental illness: 21.0% used illicit drugs.
- Young Adults: Nearly half (46.9%) of young adults aged 18-25 in the U.S. had either a mental illness or a substance use disorder in the past year.
The Most Serious Consequences
- Global Mortality: Over 3 million deaths are attributed to alcohol and drug use annually.
- Economic Cost in the U.S.: The annual economic impact of substance misuse is estimated to be $249 billion for alcohol misuse and $193 billion for illicit drug use.
- U.S. Hospital Costs: Substance use disorders cost U.S. hospitals an estimated $13.2 billion in a single year (2018), with alcohol-related disorders accounting for the largest share at $7.6 billion.
The Positive Outlook and Solutions
- Recovery is Possible: In the U..S., of the 30.5 million adults who perceived they ever had a substance use problem, 73.1% (22.2 million people) considered themselves to be in recovery or to have recovered.
- The Treatment Gap: A significant majority of people who need help do not receive it. In the U.S., only 1 in 4 people (23.6%) who needed substance use treatment in the past year actually received it.
- Global Disparities: The treatment gap is a global issue. In countries providing data, the proportion of people in contact with treatment services for SUDs ranged from less than 1% to no more than 35%.
Conclusion
The statistics paint a clear picture of substance use disorders as a profound global health crisis, responsible for millions of deaths, staggering economic costs, and immense human suffering. The data also reveals a critical failure: the vast majority of people who need treatment do not receive it. However, the high rate of self-reported recovery among those who have struggled offers a powerful message of hope. Closing the treatment gap by expanding access to evidence-based care is essential to saving lives and supporting the millions on their path to recovery.
Sources
- World Health Organisation (WHO). (2024, June 25). Over 3 million annual deaths due to alcohol and drug use, majority among men.
- Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2025, April 23). Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders in Travelers. In CDC Yellow Book 2024.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2024). Highlights for the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). (2023, March 13). NIDA IC Fact Sheet 2024.
- Peterson, C., et al. (2021). Assessment of Annual Cost of Substance Use Disorder in US Hospitals. JAMA Network Open.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Surgeon General. (n.d.). Addiction and Substance Misuse Reports and Publications.
Important:
TherapyRoute does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes and cannot replace consulting a healthcare professional. If you face an emergency, please contact a local emergency service. For immediate emotional support, consider contacting a local helpline.
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