Substance deaths
Opioid- and stimulant-related deaths in Newfoundland and Labrador, compared with the national rate. Figures below are for 2024.
Opioid death rate per 100,000 — NL vs Canada
Crude death rate per 100,000 population, 2016 to 2025. The gap between the lines shows whether NL is doing better or worse than the national rate.
| Year | NL rate | Canada rate | NL ÷ Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.4 | 13.5 | 0.33× |
| 2024 | 8.6 | 17.8 | 0.48× |
| 2023 | 6.9 | 20.1 | 0.34× |
| 2022 | 5.5 | 18.6 | 0.30× |
| 2021 | 4.7 | 19.8 | 0.24× |
| 2020 | 4.7 | 16.3 | 0.29× |
| 2019 | 3.2 | 9.6 | 0.33× |
| 2018 | 4.4 | 11.5 | 0.38× |
| 2017 | 6.2 | 10.7 | 0.58× |
| 2016 | 3.4 | 7.8 | 0.44× |
Stimulant death rate per 100,000 — NL vs Canada
Crude death rate per 100,000 population, 2018 to 2025. The gap between the lines shows whether NL is doing better or worse than the national rate.
| Year | NL rate | Canada rate | NL ÷ Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.0 | 12.2 | 0.66× |
| 2024 | 9.3 | 17.9 | 0.52× |
| 2023 | 6.9 | 15.3 | 0.45× |
| 2022 | 3.6 | 13.4 | 0.27× |
| 2021 | 3.0 | 13.6 | 0.22× |
| 2020 | 3.2 | 11.2 | 0.29× |
| 2019 | 2.8 | 6.6 | 0.42× |
| 2018 | 3.6 | 7.6 | 0.47× |
Deaths by substance — NL, 2024
| Opioids47 | 47 | |
|---|---|---|
| Stimulants51 | 51 |
Number of deaths recorded in NL involving each substance in 2024.
By sex — NL, 2024
| Sex | Opioid rate | Opioid % of deaths | Stimulant rate | Stimulant % of deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 9.6 | 55% | 14.1 | 75% |
| Female | 7.6 | 45% | 4.7 | 25% |
By manner of death — NL, 2024
| Manner | Opioids % | Stimulants % |
|---|---|---|
| Accidental | 81% | 92% |
| Suicide | 11% | 8% |
| Undetermined | 9% | 0% |
By substance type — NL, 2024
Opioid deaths only. Categories can overlap where more than one substance was detected.
| Type | % of opioid deaths |
|---|---|
| Fentanyl | 40% |
| Fentanyl analogues | 19% |
| Non-fentanyl opioids | 64% |
| Origin | % of opioid deaths |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical only | 57% |
| Non-pharmaceutical only | 34% |
| Both | Suppr. |
| Undetermined | Suppr. |
By age group — NL, 2024
| Age group | Opioids % | Stimulants % |
|---|---|---|
| 0–19 | Suppr. | Suppr. |
| 20–29 | 21% | 16% |
| 30–39 | 28% | 31% |
| 40–49 | 26% | 29% |
| 50–59 | 13% | 18% |
| 60+ | Suppr. | Suppr. |
About this data
Public Health Agency of Canada, Opioid- and Stimulant-related Harms in Canada. Data as of June 2026. NL data based on reports from the NL Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
NL suppresses counts between 1 and 4 for breakdowns by age, sex, and substance type. 2025 data is partial (January to June).
NL has a higher proportion of female opioid deaths (45%) compared to the national average (~25%). The majority of NL opioid deaths involve pharmaceutical opioids (57%), unlike BC and Ontario where illicit fentanyl dominates.
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