Men continue to make up the majority of people who use drugs, but gender differences vary by drug and region.In 2024, about three quarters of people who used drugs in the past year were men, though the share of women varies substantially by region and drug type. For example, only 8 per cent of…
Data show a growing importance of 3,4-MDP-2-P methyl glycidic acid related substances among “ecstasy” precursors and an ongoing concentration of “ecstasy” precursor seizures in Europe.Historically, 3,4-MDP-2-P, also known as piperonyl methyl ketone (PMK), has been the primary precursor chemical…
“Ecstasy” seizures reached record levels in 2024, surpassing pre-COVID-19 pandemic highs.The quantity of “ecstasy” (MDMA) seized worldwide increased by 13 percent from 2023 to 2024, more than doubling compared with 2021 levels following a pandemic-related decline.Increases were widespread in 2024…
Most “ecstasy” found in the global market continues to be produced in Western and Central Europe.Data suggest that the bulk of the "ecstasy" is still being produced in Europe, with 82 per cent of reported countries of transit or departure of seized shipments around the world being from the region.…
The use of “ecstasy” remains highest in high income countries and parts of Asia.Global prevalence of "ecstasy" use in the past year is estimated at 0.4% of the general population aged 15-64 years with higher values among males (0.54%) than among females (0.26%) although the difference is not as…
Seizures of key pharmaceutical opioids show distinct regional patterns by substance.While fentanyl seizures remain overwhelmingly concentrated in North America (> 99 per cent), other pharmaceutical opioids dominate seizures in different regions: codeine in West and Central Africa and South Asia…
The global cocaine market continues to experience strong growth in supply and demand, and organized crime groups continue to funnel continue to funnel increasingly large quantities of cocaine towards established and emerging destination markets.Taking potential cocaine manufacture and seizures into…
Cannabis dominates the global number of seizure cases, followed by ATS (notably methamphetamine) and cocaine while cannabis and cocaine dominate seizures in terms of total weight.
The global number of deaths directly or indirectly attributable to drugs continued to increase in 2023, the last year with comprehensive estimates available, although population-adjusted rates have grown slower, suggesting that the growth was in part due to population growth at the susceptible age.…
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…
Global illicit opium production remained more than 70 per cent below 2022 levels in 2025Global illicit opium production remained at lower levels in 2025 at 2,100 tons, more than 70 per cent below 2022 (mainly due to Afghanistan’s opium ban) and almost 80 per cent below its 2017 peak.A doubling of…
