Men account for the vast majority of drug offences, though some gender differences exist in outcomes.

• Globally, about 9 out of 10 people in contact with the criminal justice system for criminalized drug offences were men in 2024. For both drug trafficking and possession for personal use, the share of women was highest in the Americas and Australia and New Zealand, and lowest in Africa and Asia.
• Once in formal contact with the police, women and men have similar journeys through the criminal justice system, though differences emerge by region and offence type.
• Women are slightly less likely than men to be prosecuted and convicted for trafficking in Europe and Australia and New Zealand, but somewhat more likely to face prosecution and conviction for possession and use in the Americas and Asia (with the opposite pattern observed in Africa).