What CDC report or dataset lists fentanyl-involved deaths by year (2021)?
Executive summary
The CDC publishes fentanyl and synthetic-opioid overdose counts and rates in multiple places: the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) final and provisional datasets (CDC WONDER/Vital Statistics Rapid Release) and focused reports and data briefs that show 2021 figures — for example, CDC reported ~107,622 total drug overdose deaths in 2021 and an age‑adjusted fentanyl/synthetic‑opioid death rate around 21.6–21.8 per 100,000 in 2021 (see CDC press release and NCHS analyses) [1] [2] [3]. Available CDC products include downloadable tables and PDFs that list synthetic‑opioid (T40.4) deaths by year and by jurisdiction [4] [5].
1. Where the CDC lists fentanyl/synthetic‑opioid deaths by year
The CDC’s NVSS and CDC WONDER multiple‑cause‑of‑death files are the canonical source: NVSS classifies “synthetic opioids other than methadone” under ICD‑10 code T40.4 (which the CDC treats as including fentanyl and analogs) and produces annual and provisional counts and age‑adjusted rates for 2021 that are downloadable as tables and data briefs [4] [6] [5]. The CDC’s Vital Statistics Rapid Release and NCHS data briefs specifically present 2021 synthetic‑opioid (primarily fentanyl) death totals and rates and explain that drug‑specific counts may overlap because deaths can list multiple drugs [4] [2].
2. Key 2021 numbers the CDC and NCHS reported
CDC provisional reporting and NCHS analysis showed about 107,622 estimated drug overdose deaths for 2021 and that opioid‑involved deaths rose from roughly 70,029 in 2020 to 80,816 in 2021; CDC NCHS reported the fentanyl/synthetic‑opioid death rate at about 21.6–21.8 per 100,000 in 2021 [1] [3] [2]. Media and agency summaries interpret these synthetic‑opioid figures as reflecting that fentanyl became involved in roughly two‑thirds to three‑quarters of overdose deaths by 2021 [1] [7].
3. Which CDC products to consult for year‑by‑year fentanyl data
To get year‑by‑year counts for “fentanyl” as represented in official statistics, consult: the NVSS final multiple‑cause‑of‑death files via CDC WONDER (final for 1999–2021) and the Vital Statistics Rapid Release / NCHS data briefs and PDFs like “Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2002–2022” and the 2021‑focused NCHS blog/report that reports fentanyl‑involved rates [4] [6] [3] [5]. The HHS Overdose Prevention pages and SUDORS dashboards are additional CDC/CDC‑linked sources that present jurisdictional annual counts and downloadable SUDORS data for fatal overdose investigations through 2021 [8] [9].
4. Important definitional limits and potential for misunderstanding
CDC groups fentanyl under the ICD‑10 category “synthetic opioids other than methadone” (T40.4), which also can include tramadol and some analogs; CDC analyses often treat T40.4 as “primarily fentanyl” but the underlying coding is broader [4] [6]. CDC warns that a single death can be counted in multiple drug categories if multiple drugs are listed on the death certificate, so counts of “fentanyl‑involved” deaths are not mutually exclusive with other drug categories [4] [6]. The agency also publishes both provisional and final counts; provisional 2021 figures were reported widely but the NVSS final files are the authoritative year‑end totals [4] [1].
5. Alternative sources and corroboration published by others
Independent analyses and news outlets used CDC data to highlight the rise in fentanyl in 2021: CNN cited CDC findings that about 70,000 overdose deaths involved fentanyl in 2021 and reported the 22 per 100,000 rate figure [7]. Academic studies using CDC WONDER confirmed the dramatic increase in fentanyl involvement through 2021 and documented growing polysubstance patterns (fentanyl plus stimulants) [10]. State health departments (for example, Minnesota) and CDC partner systems (SUDORS) published jurisdictional 2021 counts showing very high fentanyl involvement in opioid deaths [11] [9].
6. How to retrieve the 2021 table you’re likely seeking
For a year‑by‑year table that lists “synthetic opioids (T40.4)” deaths for 2021, download the NCHS data brief or the NVSS/Vital Statistics Rapid Release tables (PDFs and CSVs) linked on the CDC pages: these explicitly report counts and age‑adjusted rates for 2021 and make the ICD‑10 basis (T40.4) clear [5] [4] [6]. If you need jurisdictional, toxicology‑level data (specific fentanyl detection vs. T40.4 coding), use the CDC SUDORS dashboards and MMWR reports that tabulate IMF (illegally manufactured fentanyls) detections through 2021 [9] [12].
Limitations: this summary relies only on the CDC/NCHS products and related reporting in the provided sources; available sources do not mention granular downloadable filenames or exact table IDs you might see on CDC WONDER’s web interface (not found in current reporting).