VIENNA — Cocaine production, seizures, and global usage surged to record highs in 2023, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), marking the illicit stimulant as the fastest-growing drug market in the world.
In its annual World Drug Report released Thursday, the Vienna-based agency said global cocaine production jumped to 3,708 tonnes, an increase of nearly 34% over 2022, and more than quadruple the volume recorded a decade ago.
The increase is largely attributed to a significant expansion in coca bush cultivation in Colombia, the world’s top producer, along with updated estimates showing higher yields per hectare than previously calculated.
Seizures and Usage on the Rise
Global cocaine seizures also hit a record, totaling 2,275 tonnes in 2023, a 68% rise over the past four years. Despite record interdictions, the number of cocaine users grew to 25 million, up from 17 million in 2013.
“Cocaine has become fashionable for the more affluent society,” said Angela Me, UNODC’s chief researcher. She described a “vicious cycle” of increased demand fueling both supply and market expansion.
The UNODC warns that trafficking networks are broadening their reach, with Asia and Africa emerging as new hotspots. The report notes that Western Balkan criminal groups are playing an increasingly prominent role in global distribution.
A Broader Drug Crisis
The report reflects what the UNODC describes as a “new era of global instability” that is empowering organized crime and intensifying drug use worldwide. As of 2023, 6% of the global population aged 15 to 64 had used drugs, up from 5.2% a decade earlier.
Cannabis remains the most widely used drug, while seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants also reached new highs, accounting for nearly half of all global synthetic drug seizures. Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, followed closely.
Captagon Trade Under Scrutiny
The report also highlights evolving developments in the Captagon trade, an amphetamine-type stimulant that had become Syria’s largest export under the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Following Assad’s ouster in December 2023, Syria claimed it had dismantled all known production facilities. However, the UNODC says seizure data from 2024 and 2025 indicate that Captagon continues to flow, especially to Gulf nations, possibly from stockpiles or new manufacturing hubs.
Conclusion
The UNODC warns that growing demand, rising production, and international instability are combining to create a high-risk global drug landscape. From cocaine in the Americas to synthetic drugs in the Middle East, organized crime groups are adapting faster than enforcement efforts, threatening to worsen public health and security challenges around the world.
