Metric permalink
Drug-poisoning deaths
Part of the Population Health domain. Age-standardised rate of deaths related to drug poisoning, a direct measure of the most acute end of population health and social distress.
Latest data
Latest reading
2024
Change between the two latest observations (2023 to 2024), in stress score.
A higher reading is treated as worse for this indicator.
Score composition
Stress score
Since the August 2026 release
What changed on this indicator between the two releases: history restated, source changed.
Blended from two measured components: (2/3 weight) and trend (1/3 weight); where no trend can be computed the metric is scored on its level alone. Volatility is published as a diagnostic and does not enter the blend. Full formula on the methodology page.
Level · 2/3 weight
Percentile: this metric is scored against its own history, where today sits between its best and worst recorded years.
Trend · 1/3 weight
Measured from the direction and size of the change between the two most recent readings.
Volatility · diagnostic, not blended
50Measured from how much this indicator has swung period on period across its recorded history.
Data confidence and provenance
Confidence and source
How much weight to put on the reading, the mean data-confidence across the component metrics (source quality, recency and completeness).
Source
Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales
- Update frequency
- Annual
- Reliability
- high
Provenance
- Provider
- Office for National Statistics
- Series ID
- ons_drug_poisoning
- Frequency
- Annual
- Accessed
- 11 September 2026
Known weakness
England and Wales; 'drug poisoning' is broader than drug-misuse deaths, and registration delays mean the most recent years are typically revised upward.
Notes
Verified official value from Office for National Statistics (ons_drug_poisoning), accessed 2026-09-11.
Historical values
History
| Period | Value | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 49.4 | |
| 2011 | 47.8 | |
| 2012 | 46.5 | |
| 2013 | 52.6 | |
| 2014 | 59.4 | |
| 2015 | 64.8 | |
| 2016 | 65.4 | |
| 2017 | 65.7 | |
| 2018 | 75.7 | |
| 2019 | 76.2 | |
| 2020 | 79 | |
| 2021 | 84 | |
| 2022 | 84.4 | |
| 2023 | 93 | |
| 2024 | 93.9 |