Alaska ranks 10th in U.S. drug overdose death rate

A study by H&P Law has identified Alaska as having the 10th-highest average annual drug overdose death rate in the United States. Analyzing data from 2020 through 2024, the study found that Alaska averaged 39.43 deaths per 100,000 residents, totaling approximately 290 deaths annually.

Alaska’s overdose mortality peaked in 2023, with 372 recorded deaths, representing a rate of 50.7 per 100,000 residents. While the state’s rate is significantly higher than the lowest-ranked state, Nebraska, it remains lower than the national leader, West Virginia, which recorded 74.60 deaths per 100,000 residents.