Global drug use continues to increase, driven by rising prevalence of use and population growth.An estimated 331 million people used a drug in the past 12 months in 2024, a 34 per cent increase since 2014 (with prevalence of use increasing by 20 per cent).Men account for the majority of users (249…
Cannabis remains the most widely used drug globally, with large differences across substances and regions.With an estimated 256 million users in 2024, cannabis remains by far the most used drug worldwide, followed by the non-medical use of opioids at 63 million.Men have a higher prevalence of drug…
In the last decade, the illicit market of ketamine has expanded outside of East and South-East Asia where it was previously concentrated.In mid to late 2010s, several countries with time-series data (for example, the United Kingdom, Australia, or the general population of the United States) have…
Cannabis use remains widespread globally, with steady long-term growth.Prevalence of past-year cannabis use is highest in North America, Australia and New Zealand, and West and Central Africa, while North America and South Asia have the highest number of people who use cannabis.Cannabis use has…
Cocaine use and related harms have increased globally over the past two decades, despite recent disruptions.Approximately 25 million people worldwide are estimated to have used cocaine in 2024 (or 0.47 per cent of the population aged 15-64), with lower estimated use among women (0.24 per cent) than…
The type of opioid that is most used non-medically varies across regions and countries.With the highest population globally, Asia is also the region with the highest number of people who use opioids.The type of opioid used differs across regions, with opiates such as heroin dominating in Asia and…
Similarly to most internationally controlled drugs, the use of NPS among adolescents is higher than among the general population, but the difference between adolescent boys and girlsis lower for NPS than for controlled drugs.Limited data suggest that NPS use is generally higher among school…
Opioids and cannabis account for the greatest overall harm globally, though the severity of impacts differs.Combined evidence from country rankings of most harmful drugs and global indicators on deaths, drug use disorders and people in drug-related treatment point to opioids and cannabis resulting…
Globally, the majority of people in drug-related treatment continue to be men, although the proportion of women varies by region, subregion and primary drug.Approximately one in five people in drug-related treatment worldwide is a woman.The lowest proportions of women in drug-related treatment are…
The global burden of caring for people who inject drugs with evidence-informed interventions remains highIn 2024, there were an estimated 14.3 million people who inject drugs, or 0.3 per cent of the population aged 15–64.The highest prevalence of people who inject drugs (PWID) remain in Eastern…
HIV prevalence remains high among people who inject drugs, with significant disparities by sex and region.People who inject drugs face a relatively much higher risk of HIV infection – around 14 times that of the global population aged 15-64 – with particularly elevated risks for women and young…
Hepatitis remains a major health burden among people who inject drugs.Injecting drug use remains a major contributor to the global hepatitis C epidemic, with nearly half (48 per cent) of people who inject drugs – around 7 million – living with hepatitis C in 2024.The highest prevalence of hepatitis…
