Africa-Press – Nigeria. The number of drug users worldwide rose to 316 million people in 2023, a UN report published on Thursday has announced.
The report further explained that the number corresponds to 6 percent of the world population aged between 15 and 64 using a drug, not including tobacco or alcohol.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna stated in its 2025 World Drug Report that it is based on 2023 data, stressing that in 2013, 5.2 percent of the world’s population had consumed a drug.
According to the report, cannabis remained the most consumed 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 organised drug trafficking groups continue to adapt, exploit global crises, and target vulnerable populations, suggesting that they must invest in prevention and address the root causes of the drug trade at every point of the illicit supply chain.
The UNODC Executive Director, Ghada Waly, stated that they must strengthen responses by leveraging technology, strengthening cross-border cooperation, providing alternative livelihoods, and taking judicial action that targets key actors driving these networks.
Among all drugs, the report stated that the market for cocaine is growing the fastest, saying that 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 criminal organisations involved in drug smuggling.
For More News And Analysis About Nigeria Follow Africa-Press
