The number of global drug users has reached 316 million people in 2023, accounting for 6% of the world’s population aged 15-64, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s 2025 World Drug Report, Published on Thursday.
According to the report, cannabis remains the most widely used drug, with 244 million users, followed by opioids (61 million), amphetamines (30.7 million), cocaine (25 million), and ecstasy (21 million).
It stressed that this edition of the World Drug Report shows that Organized drug trafficking groups are adapting to global crises and targeting vulnerable populations, emphasizing the need for investment in prevention and addressing the root causes of the drug trade at every point of illicit supply chain.
UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly emphasizes the need to strengthen responses by leveraging technology, cross-border cooperation, providing alternative livelihoods, and judicial action targeting key actors driving these networks.
Among all drugs, the report stated that the market for cocaine is growing the fastest, said, illegal cocaine production rose by more than a third year-on-year to a record 3,708 tons in 2023.
It said that the number of consumers rose from 17 million to 25 million between 2013 and 2023, stressing that the cocaine boom is not only leading to more drug-related deaths, but also to more violence between rival criminals organisations involved in drug smuggling.