Global opiate use has remained broadly stable, with slight declines in the prevalence of use.The number of people using opiates worldwide has remained stable over the last five years, while the annual prevalence of use declined slightly from 0.61 per cent in 2020 to 0.57 per cent in 2023 and 2024.…
Global opioid use has remained broadly stable, with strong regional differences in prevalence of use.The number of people who use opioids worldwide has remained relatively stable in the last five years, with the estimate for 2024 only slightly higher than the level in 2019.Prevalence of past-year…
Drug-related deaths continue to rise globally, with indirect causes accounting for most harm.The total global number of deaths directly or indirectly attributable to drugs continued to increase in 2023, although population-adjusted rates have grown more slowly, suggesting that the growth was in…
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…
As intensive methamphetamine use has increased in both Australia and New Zealand, associated health harms have also increased.In Australia, hospitalizations and the number of people in drug-related treatment related to methamphetamine use have increased over the long-term, although recent data…
Methamphetamine-related harms show mixed trends across North America.In Mexico, methamphetamine harms have increased in recent years, reflected in a growing number of people entering drug-related treatment for the substance – though recent data suggest possible signs of stabilization.In contrast,…
In Australia, past-year methamphetamine use has declined since 2004, but among people who still used the drug, there are signs of increases in intensive use patterns.A similar trend is observed in New Zealand, where the police characterize the methamphetamine market as saturated. Intensive use of…
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…
