Prevalence of illicit drug use in Europe in 2021, by country

As of 2021, 13.5 percent of the adult population in Spain were estimated to have used illicit drugs in the previous year, the highest prevalence among the selected European countries shown. In both France and Croatia, illicit drug use was above 11 percent. 

Examples of problem drug use in Europe

According to the latest figures, the Netherlands had the highest share of their population who had used cocaine in the previous year in Europe. Around 2.5 percent of the Dutch population had used cocaine in the preceding twelve months, followed by Spain and Ireland, which both had over two percent of individuals using cocaine. When it comes to amphetamines, Austria had the highest prevalence of use, with 1.5 percent of their respective populations using in the last year.

Drug deaths in Europe

In 2021, 54 percent of men who died as a result of drug use in Europe were aged between 25 and 44 years, while 39 percent of drug deaths among women were also in this age group. Norway was the country in Europe with the highest incidence of drug deaths, at 85 per million population.