World Drug Report

The 2018 World Drug Report includes an updated overview of recent trends on production, trafficking and consumption of key illicit drugs as well as highlighting a thematic area of concern. The Report contains a global overview of the baseline data and estimates on drug demand and supply, and it provides the reference point of information on the drug situation worldwide. The thematic focus of the 2018 Report presents information and issues related to drugs and women, youth and older people.

The World Drug Report presents a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in drug markets. It covers production, trafficking, consumption and the related health consequences. Chapter 1 of this year’s Report examines the global situation and the latest trends in the different drug markets and the extent of illicit drug use, as well as the related health impact. Chapter 2 addresses the issue of precursor control, which has gained in prominence given the growing manufacture of synthetic drugs.

Chapter I of this year’s World Drug Report provides an overview of recent trends and the state of drug production, trafficking, and consumption, and its consequences in terms of treatment and related illnesses and deaths to drugs. Chapter II presents from a diachronic point of view the characteristics of the drug problem, its evolution and the main factors that determine it. It starts with an examination of the main features of the current problem, followed by a presentation of the changes observed in recent decades, and concludes with an analysis of the factors that have influenced its evolution and a brief overview of likely future trends.

In order to prepare the World Drug Report, UNODC relies on Member States to provide data, primarily through the Annual Reports Questionnaire (ARQ). The ARQ was distributed to 192 Member States, and UNODC received 110 replies to the drug abuse section and 114 replies to the illicit supply of drugs section from Member States (and territories). In general, most countries’ ability to provide information on illicit drug supply is significantly better than their ability to provide demand-related data. Despite commendable progress, for example in the area of prevalence estimates, far more remains to be done to provide a solid, reliable basis for trend and policy analysis. The report includes in-depth and cross-sectoral analyses of transnational drug markets (chapter 1) as well as the latest statistical data and trends regarding the world drug situation (chapter 2). This year, the report also discusses the impact of transnational drug trafficking on transit countries (chapter 3).

The Report continues to provide in depth trend analysis of the four main drug markets in its first section. In addition, to mark the one hundred year anniversary of the Shanghai Opium Commission, and one hundred years of international drug control, the Report contains an in-depth look at the development of the international drug control system. The Report also contains a small statistical annex which provides a detailed look at production, prices and consumption. As in previous years, the present Report is based on data obtained primarily from the annual reports questionnaire (ARQ) sent by Governments to UNODC in 2007, supplemented by other sources when necessary and where available. Two of the main limitations herein are: (i) that ARQ reporting is not systematic enough, both in terms of number of countries responding and of content, and (ii) that most countries lack the adequate monitoring systems required to produce reliable, comprehensive and internationally comparable data. National monitoring systems are, however, improving and UNODC has contributed to this process.

Some 200 million people, or 5 percent of the global population age 15-64, have used illicit drugs at least once in the last 12 months. Among this population are people from almost every country on earth. More people are involved in the production and trafficking of illicit drugs and still more are touched by the devastating social and economic costs of this problem. Partially a consequence of its pervasiveness and partially a consequence of the illicit and hidden nature of the problem, reliable analysis and statistics on the production, trafficking and use of illicit drugs are rare. The World Drug Report 2006 endeavours to fill this gap. It provides one of the most comprehensive overviews of illicit drug trends at the international level. In addition, it presents a special thematic chapter on cannabis, by far the most widely produced, trafficked and used drug in the world. The analysis of trends, some going back 10 years or more, is presented in Volume 1. Detailed statistics are presented in Volume 2. Taken together, these volumes provide the most up-to-date view of today’s illicit drug situation.

The World Drug Report 2005 provides one of the most comprehensive overviews of illicit drug trends at the international level. In addition, this year it presents the work of UNODC in two new areas of research: an estimate of the financial value of the world drug market, and the preliminary steps towards the creation of an illicit drug index. The analysis of trends, some going back 10 years or more, is presented in Volume 1. Detailed statistics are presented in Volume 2. Taken together these volumes provide the most up to date view of today’s illicit drug situation.