By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Vienna, June 27, 2026 - The global illicit drug market is undergoing a dramatic transformation, with criminal networks exploiting technological advances, geopolitical instability and new trafficking routes to expand their operations, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2026.
The report, tabled by UNODC Executive Director Dr. Monica Juma, paints a concerning picture of an increasingly sophisticated global drug trade driven by the emergence of new synthetic substances, expanding markets and rising drug consumption worldwide.
Dr. Juma warned that organized criminal groups are rapidly adapting to changing global conditions, introducing more potent and dangerous drugs while exploiting conflicts and technological innovations to evade law enforcement.
"We have seen an unprecedented spike in new types of drugs on the market, and worryingly, some are more potent or dangerous than before," she said.
"And, we are already suffering the impact: millions of premature deaths and healthy years of life needlessly lost; drug trafficking networks that are distorting economies; the destruction of lives, communities and livelihoods; and the compounding of insecurity and violence."
She called for stronger international cooperation to dismantle organized crime networks, urging countries to enhance intelligence sharing, strengthen deterrence measures, coordinate joint operations and invest more in drug prevention and treatment programmes.
According to the report, an estimated 331 million people aged between 15 and 64 used drugs in 2024, representing 6.2 per cent of the world's population in that age group. This marks a significant increase from 5.2 per cent recorded in 2014.
Cannabis remains the world's most widely used drug, with approximately 256 million users in 2024. It is followed by opioids, used by 63 million people, amphetamines by 32 million, cocaine by 25 million and ecstasy by 21 million.
UNODC warned that traffickers are increasingly turning to synthetic drugs to bypass regulations and law enforcement efforts.
The report notes that illicit manufacturers continue developing new psychoactive substances (NPS), with drug seizures in 2024 revealing five times more drug types than were commonly detected before 2000.
A total of 755 new psychoactive substances were reported circulating globally in 2024, including 118 substances identified for the first time.
The report identifies a major shift in the global opioid market following Afghanistan's 2022 ban on drug production, which significantly reduced global opium and heroin supplies.
Although Myanmar increased opium production from 420 tonnes in 2021 to more than 1,000 tonnes in 2025, the increase remains far below Afghanistan's previous production of more than 6,000 tonnes in 2022.
UNODC says traffickers are increasingly turning to highly potent synthetic opioids, including fentanyls, nitazenes and orphines, as alternatives to heroin.
The agency warned that the shift from plant-based opioids to synthetic alternatives could permanently reshape the global opioid market while increasing public health risks due to the higher potency of these substances.
The report says methamphetamine has evolved into a truly global drug, with new production centres and trafficking routes emerging across Africa, the Near and Middle East, Europe and the Pacific.
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Methamphetamine seizures increased by an average of 13 per cent annually, driven largely by East and South-East Asia.
While Myanmar remains the principal source of methamphetamine, suppliers from North America, West and Southern Africa and South-West Asia are increasingly entering the market to meet rising demand.
The report also notes that methamphetamine produced in North America is now being trafficked across the Pacific into countries bordering the Western Pacific, contributing to growing use across Pacific Island nations.
In the Middle East, disruptions in the captagon trade following the fall of the former Assad government in Syria in December 2024 have reportedly doubled the street price of captagon tablets in some areas, prompting some users to shift to methamphetamine.
UNODC attributes part of the growth in cannabis use to changing public attitudes and the legalization or decriminalization of cannabis in several jurisdictions, particularly in North America.
The number of cannabis users has increased by 40 per cent over the past decade, while prevalence among people aged 15 to 64 rose from 3.8 per cent in 2014 to 4.8 per cent in 2024.
Cannabis seizures also reached record levels in 2024.
The report further notes that cannabis trafficking is becoming increasingly international. Between 2015 and 2024, 57 countries and territories outside North America identified the region as a source of seized cannabis, compared to just 11 during the previous decade.
Global cocaine production continued its rapid expansion in 2024, increasing more than fourfold over the past decade to exceed 4,000 tonnes of pure cocaine.
The increase has been driven by expanded cultivation and improved production efficiency.
UNODC says organized crime groups are increasingly targeting both established and emerging markets in an effort to maximize profits.
While Western and Central Europe, North America and Oceania remain major destinations, Africa and Asia are recording some of the fastest growth rates in cocaine seizures despite relatively low overall volumes.
The report highlights the close relationship between drug use and broader social problems, including crime, family violence, homelessness, poor mental health and limited access to healthcare and social services.
However, UNODC stresses that these outcomes are influenced by wider socioeconomic conditions and are not solely caused by drug use itself.
The agency says strengthening treatment services, expanding prevention programmes and addressing poverty and social exclusion remain critical components of effective drug control strategies.
The World Drug Report 2026 concludes that the rapidly evolving nature of global drug markets demands stronger international cooperation, improved intelligence-sharing and sustained investment in public health interventions to curb the growing influence of organized criminal networks.