This report presents finalised statistics on Northern Ireland (NI) drug-related mortality in 2024. Figures are based on deaths registered in NI that are known to be drug-related or a direct consequence of drug misuse. Drug death statistics and mortality statistics more generally are published as the number of deaths registered within a calendar year, rather than the number of deaths that occurred in that period. This method ensures annual data do not continuously change. However, it introduces a limitation to the statistics because registration-based figures build in delays from procedural systems and processes. These can drive annual fluctuations in the series and do not enable occurrence-based analyses which may be important in informing operational and policy responses.

Key points
• There were 251 drug-related deaths registered in 2024, 219 (87.3 per cent) of which fell within the definition of drug misuse.
• Like previous years, males accounted for more than two-thirds (70.9 per cent) of drug-related deaths in 2024.
• The 35-44 age group had the highest age-specific drug-related and drug misuse mortality rates in 2024, at 30.1 and 27.0 per 100,000 population, respectively.
• Opioids was the most mentioned drug group. They appeared on the death certificates of 131 (52.2%) drug related deaths registered in 2024. Benzodiazepines (which include drugs such as temazepam and diazepam) were the next most common group (128 deaths or 51.0%).
• Pregabalin was the specific drug mentioned most often, appearing on the death certificates of 101 (40.2%) of the 251 drug related deaths registered in 2024.
• Cocaine was the most prominent drug in deaths that involved only one drug in 2024. It contributed to 22 (40.7%) of single-drug deaths (54).
• Multi-drug deaths have become more prevalent over time, with the proportion of deaths involving five or more drugs rising from 12.7% (2014) to 21.9% (2024).
• Alcohol was mentioned in approximately one-fifth (19.9%) of drug-related deaths in 2024, in line with previous years.
• Belfast Local Government District (LGD) had the highest number of drug-related deaths (80) and the highest age standardised mortality rate (ASMR) (21.6 per 100,000 population) in 2024.
• The most deprived areas experienced the highest number of drug-related deaths for the combined years of 2020 to 2024, accounting for 43.7 per cent of drug-related deaths and 44.4 per cent of drug misuse deaths. The least deprived areas in Northern Ireland accounted for 7.4 per cent of drug-related deaths and 6.9 per cent of drug misuse deaths in the same period.
• The three-year average for the number of registered drug-related deaths has shown a general rise over the past decade. 
• The average rose from 111.7 deaths per year (2012-14) to 207.3 deaths per year (2019-21). It then fell to 178.7 deaths per year (2021-23) before rising to 191.3 deaths per year in 2022-24.
• The number of drug misuse deaths has similarly fluctuated over time, rising from a three-year average of 81.3 deaths per year (2012-14) to 164.7 deaths per year in 2022-24.