Annual prevalence of the use of drugs by region and globally

Annual prevalence of the use of cannabis, cocaine, opioids, opiates, amphetamine-type stimulants and "ecstasy" by region and globally, 2016

CANNABIS COCAINE OPIOIDS OPIATES AMPHETAMINES ECSTASY

 

Region or subregion

Cannabis

Number (thousands)

Prevalence (percentage)

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Africa

51,930

37,110

75,930

7.6

5.5

11.2

East Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

North Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

Southern Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

West and Central Africa

34,260

28,520

42,420

13.2

11.0

16.3

Americas

52,900

51,600

55,080

8.0

7.8

8.3

Caribbean

630

230

1,730

2.2

0.8

6.1

Central America

820

410

1,320

2.75

1.37

4.43

North America

41,510

41,330

41,680

12.9

12.9

13.0

South America

9,940

9,630

10,340

3.5

3.4

3.6

Asia

56,610

47,750

71,180

1.9

1.6

2.4

Central Asia

1,480

440

2,440

2.6

0.8

4.2

East and South-East Asia

9,650

4,460

21,490

0.6

0.3

1.3

Near and Middle East

-

-

-

-

-

-

South Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Europe

27,860

27,180

28,610

5.1

5.0

5.2

Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

5,490

5,120

5,830

2.4

2.3

2.6

Western and Central Europe

22,370

22,060

22,780

7.0

6.9

7.1

Oceania

2,850

2,130

3,250

11.0

8.3

12.6

Australia and New Zealand

2,070

2,070

2,070

11.0

11.0

11.0

Melanesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Micronesia

60

40

80

16.6

10.7

22.7

Polynesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

GLOBAL ESTIMATE

192,150

165,760

234,060

3.9

3.4

4.8

 

Region or subregion

Cocainea

Number (thousands)

Prevalence (percentage)

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Africa

3,180

920

5,720

0.47

0.13

0.84

East Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

North Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

Southern Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

West and Central Africa

1,805

725

2,890

0.69

0.28

1.11

Americas

9,230

8,510

9,880

1.39

1.28

1.49

Caribbean

180

80

330

0.63

0.29

1.16

Central America

200

100

300

0.66

0.35

1.01

North America

6,140

5,990

6,280

1.91

1.86

1.95

South America

2,720

2,340

2,970

0.95

0.82

1.04

Asia

1,040

150

1,940

0.03

0.01

0.07

Central Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

East and South-East Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Near and Middle East

70

30

130

0.02

0.01

0.04

South Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Europe

4,330

3,870

4,880

0.79

0.71

0.90

Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

620

290

1,000

0.28

0.13

0.44

Western and Central Europe

3,710

3,580

3,890

1.16

1.12

1.22

Oceania

430

420

430

1.65

1.61

1.65

Australia and New Zealand

420

420

420

2.19

2.19

2.19

Melanesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Micronesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Polynesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

GLOBAL ESTIMATE

18,200

13,870

22,850

0.37

0.28

0.47

 

Region or subregion

Opioids (opiates and prescription opioids)

Number (thousands)

Prevalence (percentage)

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Africa

2,190

970

3,700

0.32

0.14

0.54

East Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

North Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

Southern Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

West and Central Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

Americas

14,330

12,660

17,100

2.16

1.90

2.57

Caribbean

-

-

-

-

-

-

Central America

-

-

-

-

-

-

North America

13,570

12,330

14,520

4.22

3.84

4.52

South America

580

250

2,160

0.20

0.09

0.76

Asia

13,590

9,390

19,340

0.46

0.32

0.65

Central Asia

540

480

590

0.93

0.83

1.03

East and South-East Asia

3,280

2,320

4,010

0.20

0.14

0.25

Near and Middle East

-

-

-

-

-

-

South Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Europe

3,570

3,430

3,790

0.65

0.63

0.69

Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

1,750

1,670

1,840

0.78

0.74

0.81

Western and Central Europe

1,820

1,760

1,950

0.57

0.55

0.61

Oceania

580

550

610

2.24

2.13

2.37

Australia and New Zealand

560

550

570

2.95

2.90

2.99

Melanesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Micronesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Polynesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

GLOBAL ESTIMATE

34,260

27,010

44,540

0.70

0.55

0.91

 

Region or subregion

Opiates

Number (thousands)

Prevalence (percentage)

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Africa

2,060

970

3,150

0.30

0.14

0.46

East Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

North Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

Southern Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

West and Central Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

Americas

2,840

2,070

3,650

0.43

0.31

0.55

Caribbean

-

-

-

-

-

-

Central America

-

-

-

-

-

-

North America

2,560

1,890

3,150

0.80

0.59

0.98

South America

240

150

330

0.08

0.05

0.12

Asia

11,230

7,740

15,650

0.38

0.26

0.53

Central Asia

520

460

580

0.90

0.80

1.00

East and South-East Asia

3,280

2,320

4,010

0.20

0.14

0.25

Near and Middle East

-

-

-

-

-

-

South Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Europe

3,200

2,990

3,620

0.59

0.55

0.66

Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

1,500

1,430

1,590

0.67

0.63

0.70

Western and Central Europe

1,700

1,560

2,040

0.53

0.49

0.64

Oceania

40

40

70

0.16

0.14

0.28

Australia and New Zealand

35

35

41

0.18

0.18

0.22

Melanesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Micronesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Polynesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

GLOBAL ESTIMATE

19,380

13,800

26,150

0.40

0.28

0.53

 

Region or subregion

Amphetaminesb and prescription stimulants

Number (thousands)

Prevalence (percentage)

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Africa

5,980

1,910

10,420

0.88

0.28

1.53

East Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

North Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

Southern Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

West and Central Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

Americas

7,530

6,210

8,790

1.13

0.93

1.32

Caribbean

260

10

710

0.90

0.05

2.48

Central America

60

30

90

0.21

0.09

0.31

North America

6,500

5,540

7,240

2.02

1.72

2.25

South America

710

630

740

0.25

0.22

0.26

Asia

17,450

2,690

32,220

0.59

0.09

1.08

Central Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

East and South-East Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Near and Middle East

-

-

-

-

-

-

South Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Europe

2,850

2,290

3,450

0.52

0.42

0.63

Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

720

400

1,060

0.32

0.18

0.47

Western and Central Europe

2,130

1,900

2,390

0.67

0.59

0.75

Oceania

350

320

360

1.34

1.24

1.38

Australia and New Zealand

250

250

250

1.34

1.34

1.34

Melanesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Micronesia

6

2

11

1.63

0.58

3.15

Polynesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

GLOBAL ESTIMATE

34,160

13,420

55,240

0.70

0.27

1.13

 

Region or subregion

"Ecstasy"

Number (thousands)

Prevalence (percentage)

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Best
estimate

Lower

Upper

Africa

1,410

450

2,420

0.21

0.07

0.36

East Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

North Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

Southern Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

West and Central Africa

-

-

-

-

-

-

Americas

3,480

3,370

3,610

0.52

0.51

0.54

Caribbean

60

30

100

0.23

0.10

0.36

Central America

50

20

100

0.17

0.07

0.33

North America

2,860

2,860

2,860

0.89

0.89

0.89

South America

510

470

550

0.18

0.16

0.19

Asia

11,200

1,270

21,140

0.38

0.04

0.71

Central Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

East and South-East Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Near and Middle East

-

-

-

-

-

-

South Asia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Europe

4,050

3,490

4,740

0.74

0.64

0.87

Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

1,330

840

1,840

0.59

0.37

0.82

Western and Central Europe

2,720

2,650

2,900

0.85

0.83

0.91

Oceania

420

400

420

1.64

1.56

1.65

Australia and New Zealand

410

400

420

2.17

2.12

2.23

Melanesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Micronesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

Polynesia

-

-

-

-

-

-

GLOBAL ESTIMATE

20,570

8,990

32,340

0.42

0.18

0.66

 


a Cocaine includes cocaine salt, "crack" cocaine and other types such as coca paste, cocaine base, basuco, paco and merla.
b Amphetamines include both amphetamine and methamphetamine
Sources: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates based on annual report questionnaire data and other official sources.