Drug use worldwide continues to rise, alongside a sharp increase in the emergence of powerful synthetic substances, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned in its 2026 World Drug Report released on Friday. The agency described the development as an “unprecedented spike” in new types of drugs entering global markets, raising concerns over public health and security risks.

According to the report, an estimated 331 million people used drugs in 2024, accounting for 6.2% of the global population aged 15 to 64. This marks a steady increase from 5.2% in 2014, indicating a decade-long upward trend in global drug consumption across multiple regions.

Cannabis remains the most widely used drug globally, followed by opioids, amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy. However, the UNODC highlighted growing availability of novel synthetic opioids such as fentanyls, nitazenes and orphines, which are often used as substitutes for heroin and are significantly more potent, increasing the risk of overdose and death.

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The agency noted that drug producers are rapidly developing new synthetic compounds in an attempt to evade international regulations and detection systems. In 2024, drug seizures revealed five times more drug types compared to those recorded before 2000, reflecting the growing complexity and diversification of global drug trafficking networks.

The report further stated that the number of new psychoactive substances circulating in drug markets reached 755 in 2024, with 118 newly identified that year alone. UNODC experts warned that this rapid expansion of synthetic drugs is reshaping global illicit drug markets, particularly as traditional plant-based opiates decline due to restrictions on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.

The report also highlighted the expansion of methamphetamine production across regions including Myanmar, North America, West and Southern Africa, and Southwest Asia, alongside a more than fourfold increase in cocaine production over the past decade. Officials cautioned that the shift towards synthetic alternatives could permanently transform the global opioid market, with far-reaching consequences for public health and law enforcement worldwide.

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