Overview

• Illegal cocaine output jumped by 34% in 2023 to a record 3,708 tons, driven by expanded coca bush cultivation and higher yield estimates in Colombia
• Global seizures climbed to 2,275 tons after US Treasury sanctions on suspected cartel operators and France established a national anti-mafia prosecutor’s office
• The number of cocaine users rose to 25 million worldwide in 2023, with Australia and New Zealand recording the highest per-capita use at 3% of adults
• Organized crime networks have opened new corridors into Asia and Africa via Brazil, Ecuador and Sahel transit hubs, diverting more product toward Europe and North America
• Record seizures of methamphetamine-type stimulants, fentanyl and emerging nitazenes highlight the rapid spread of synthetic drugs that challenge current detection and legal controls