In a stark warning on the state of the world’s drug crisis, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed that global cocaine production surged to an unprecedented all-time high in 2023. The UN’s annual report, released on June 26’ 2025 highlights a disturbing escalation not only in the production of cocaine but also in its use, seizures, and associated health impacts. The report paints a grim picture of a drug epidemic fueling organized crime and destabilizing societies worldwide.
According to the UNODC, cocaine production in 2023 reached an estimated 3,708 metric tons – a nearly 34% increase compared to 2022. This explosive growth is largely attributed to expanded coca cultivation and higher yields in Colombia, the world’s top coca producer. The increased availability of coca leaf has enabled criminal networks to boost the scale of cocaine manufacture, feeding the growing global demand.
This upward trajectory marks cocaine as the fastest-growing illicit drug market worldwide, reversing earlier trends where opioids or synthetic drugs dominated headlines. The sharp rise in production signals not only the resilience of criminal drug networks but also the challenges faced by governments trying to curtail supply.
The UNODC report estimates that around 25 million people worldwide used cocaine in 2023. This figure represents a staggering increase from 17 million users in 2013 – a near 47% rise over just a decade. The increase in consumption is consistent across major regions, with North America, Western and Central Europe, and South America reporting the highest numbers.
European cities, in particular, are seeing sharp rises in cocaine use, as confirmed by wastewater analysis-a method that measures drug residues flushed from urban populations. This data suggests cocaine is increasingly entrenched in the drug scenes of many cities, reflecting changes in consumer preferences and drug market dynamics.
The surge in cocaine production and consumption has been met with intensified law enforcement efforts, but seizures have also reached record levels. Between 2019 and 2023, global cocaine seizures increased by 68%. For the fifth consecutive year, Western and Central Europe have reported more cocaine seizures than North America, signaling shifting trafficking routes and markets.
Despite these efforts, the sheer volume of cocaine trafficked around the world poses significant challenges. Traffickers continue to exploit vulnerabilities in global supply chains and law enforcement gaps, often using sophisticated methods such as concealed shipments and financial laundering to evade detection.
The report places the issue of drug use within the broader context of global illicit substance use, estimating that in 2023, 316 million people worldwide aged 15 to 64 used at least one illicit drug-excluding alcohol and tobacco. This represents 6% of the global population in that age bracket, up from 5.2% in 2013.
Drug use disorders related to cocaine and other substances impose a massive toll on global health. The UNODC estimates nearly half a million deaths annually are directly attributable to drug use disorders, accompanied by 28 million healthy years of life lost worldwide due to premature mortality and disability. These figures underscore the urgent need for effective public health interventions.
Alarmingly, only one in twelve people suffering from drug use disorders received any form of treatment in 2023, according to the report. This treatment gap highlights critical deficiencies in healthcare systems globally, especially in providing accessible, affordable, and stigma-free support for those struggling with addiction.
Cocaine’s popularity stems from its powerful stimulant effects, which induce intense euphoria, heightened energy, and increased confidence. However, the drug carries significant health risks, some of which can be fatal.
Users face a heightened risk of heart attacks, strokes, respiratory failure, and neurological damage. Repeated use often leads to addiction characterized by binge cycles, with users experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms that perpetuate continued consumption despite adverse consequences. Mental health problems, including anxiety, paranoia, and psychosis, are also commonly associated with chronic cocaine use.
These dangers are compounded by the fact that cocaine is frequently adulterated with other harmful substances, which can exacerbate health risks or introduce unpredictable toxic effects.
UNODC Executive Director GhadaWaly emphasized the connection between rising cocaine production and growing organized crime networks, warning that the current trends are driving “a new era of global instability.” She called on governments and international organizations to invest more in prevention strategies, enhance cross-border cooperation, and strengthen judicial frameworks to dismantle criminal enterprises effectively.
Organized crime groups involved in cocaine trafficking wield vast financial resources, enabling corruption, violence, and influence over political and economic systems in producing, transit, and consumer countries alike. This threatens the rule of law and undermines social cohesion.
The UNODC report urges a multi-pronged, coordinated global response to the cocaine crisis. Prevention efforts must include education campaigns targeting youth and vulnerable populations to reduce the demand for cocaine and other illicit drugs. Early intervention and treatment services are critical to reducing health harms and social costs.
Law enforcement cooperation across borders is essential to disrupt trafficking networks and dismantle financial infrastructures supporting drug crime. Strengthening judicial systems to prosecute drug-related offenses while ensuring human rights protections will also be key.
Moreover, addressing the underlying social and economic factors that drive coca cultivation in producing countries-such as poverty, lack of alternative livelihoods, and weak governance-must form part of a sustainable long-term solution.
The UNODC’s 2023 report starkly illustrates that the global cocaine epidemic is worsening on multiple fronts: production, consumption, seizures, and health harms. With cocaine use increasing among millions of people worldwide and drug-related deaths rising, the world faces an urgent call to action.
Stopping the surge in cocaine and mitigating its devastating effects will require a concerted effort by governments, civil society, and international organizations. Only through integrated approaches that combine prevention, treatment, enforcement, and development can the global community hope to turn back the tide of this dangerous drug crisis and restore stability and health to affected populations.
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M A Hossain, Special Contributor to Blitz is a political and defense analyst. He regularly writes for local and international newspapers.
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