Human Capital Public finance, money & integrity

Drug overdose crisis

Synthetic opioids and other potent drugs are driving overdose deaths and spreading from North America to new markets, hollowing out working-age cohorts and straining health, policing and social services.

Rank: 34; of 250 trends
Attention intensity: 2.7×; 1× is the typical trend
Attention index: 267; 100 is the typical trend
Change: 0%; WoW
Volatility: ±3%; Stable

The week ending 7 Nov 2026, World. Volatility is the typical weekly move over the last 26 weeks. How these are measured.

Regional Attention

By region

Central Asia

Europe

Latin America & Caribbean

23×

#25

15×

4.6×

#60

2.5×

#92

1.9×

#83

1.6×

#107

1.1×

#159

1.1×

#160

1.1×

#148

0.72×

#179

This trend’s attention intensity in each region, and its rank among the 250 trends there: the 10 highest of 11.

By bloc

5.4×

#13

3.8×

#24

2.7×

#53

2.7×

#66

2.6×

#71

2.3×

#78

2.1×

#65

1.9×

#96

1.7×

#99

1.6×

#107

This trend’s attention intensity in each bloc, the average of its member countries, and its rank there: the 10 highest of 13.

By country

49×

#14

38×

#22

36×

30×

#10

24×

21×

#18

16×

14×

#37

13×

#33

This trend’s attention intensity in each country, and its rank among the 250 trends there: the 10 highest of 49.

Attention Index over time

The attention index, worldwide and in each region: 100 is the typical trend in each place, the median of every trend's attention there over the past 52 weeks.

Attention to Drug overdose crisis, by place

Attention index, a four-week rolling average, on a log scale. 100 is the typical trend in each place, so a line at 1,000 is ten times the typical trend’s attention there. A country chosen at the top of the page is drawn beside its region and the world. Select a place below to bring its line forward.