World Drug Report 2025

World Drug Report 2025

Global Drug Crisis: Cocaine Production Soars as Synthetic Opioids Fuel Overdose Epidemic

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has released alarming new data showing that 2023 was a record-breaking year for the global cocaine market, while synthetic drugs—particularly deadly opioids like fentanyl and nitazenes—continue to spread, driving an escalating public health crisis.

Cocaine Market Hits All-Time High

Production Surges in Colombia

Global cocaine production reached an unprecedented 3,708 tons in 2023, a 34% increase from the previous year. This surge was primarily driven by:

• Expanded coca cultivation in Colombia, where production estimates jumped 50% due to higher yields.
• Stabilization in Bolivia and a slight decline in Peru, though Colombia remains the dominant producer.

Seizures and Consumption Break Records

• Global cocaine seizures rose by 68% between 2019 and 2023, with Europe surpassing North America for the fifth straight year.
• An estimated 25 million people used cocaine in 2023, up from 17 million in 2013.
• North America, Western Europe, and South America remain the largest markets, but Africa and Asia are emerging as new trafficking hubs.

Violence Spirals in Key Trafficking Zones

The booming cocaine trade has fueled extreme violence in several regions:

• Ecuador’s homicide rate skyrocketed from 7.8 per 100,000 in 2020 to 45.7 in 2023 due to cartel wars.
• West and Central Africa are seeing increased gang conflicts as trafficking routes shift.
• European ports like Antwerp and Rotterdam have become major entry points, leading to cocaine-related violence in cities.

Afghan Opium Ban Reshapes Global Heroin Supply

Afghanistan’s 2022 Taliban-imposed drug ban drastically cut opium production:

• Global opium cultivation dropped by 68%, with Afghan production 93% lower than pre-ban levels.
• Opium prices in Afghanistan surged tenfold, reaching $750 per kg.
• Heroin seizures fell by 50% since 2021, and prices tripled in neighboring countries.

However, massive stockpiles (13,200 tons) could meet demand until 2026, delaying a full market collapse. Meanwhile, Myanmar’s opium production rose, offsetting some losses.

Synthetic Drugs: The Deadliest Threat

Fentanyl Dominates North America

• 48,422 U.S. overdose deaths in 2024 were linked to synthetic opioids (mostly fentanyl).
• Canada reported 7,057 fentanyl deaths in 2023, though early 2024 data suggests a slight decline.
• Mexico faces rising addiction rates, with fentanyl treatment cases increasing since 2018.

Nitazenes: A New Global Killer

Nitazenes—up to 50 times stronger than heroin—are spreading worldwide:

• Europe: Outbreaks in the UK (458 deaths), Ireland (77 deaths), and Baltic states (66% of drug deaths in Latvia).
• Africa: Nitazene-laced “kush” triggered national emergencies in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
• Asia & Americas: Detections in China, Brazil, and the U.S. (320 deaths in 2023).
• 12 nitazenes are now under international control, but new variants keep appearing.

Meth, Ketamine, and Tramadol on the Rise

• Methamphetamine seizures hit record highs, dominating synthetic drug markets.
• Ketamine trafficking expanded beyond Asia, though 2023 data shows stabilization.
• Tramadol misuse remains rampant in West Africa, while pregabalin abuse spreads in Europe and the Middle East.

Conclusion: A Rapidly Evolving Crisis

The global drug landscape is shifting at an alarming pace:
✔ Cocaine production and use are at historic highs.
✔ Afghanistan’s opium ban has disrupted heroin supplies, but stockpiles delay a full collapse.
✔ Synthetic opioids (fentanyl, nitazenes) are driving a deadly overdose epidemic.
✔ New synthetic drugs (kush, tramadol, pregabalin) are emerging as major threats.

Governments and health agencies must strengthen cross-border cooperation, expand harm reduction programs, and monitor dark web drug sales to combat this evolving crisis.