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Illegal drug users - Global prevalence 1990-2016
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Illegal drug users - Global prevalence 1990-2016
Prevalence of illegal drug use among the global population from 1990 to 2016*
This statistic shows the worldwide prevalence of illicit drugs as a percentage of the global population aged between 15 and 64 years, from 1990 to 2016. In 1990, an estimated 4.8 percent of the global population used illicit drugs. This figure had increased to some 5.6 percent by the year 2016.
Prevalence of illegal drug use among the global population from 1990 to 2016*
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| Prevalence of illicit drug use | Prevalence of problem drug use | |
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Description
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This statistic shows the worldwide prevalence of illicit drugs as a percentage of the global population aged between 15 and 64 years, from 1990 to 2016. In 1990, an estimated 4.8 percent of the global population used illicit drugs. This figure had increased to some 5.6 percent by the year 2016.
Show more- Show sources information
- Show publisher information
- Release date
- June 2018
- Region
- Worldwide
- Survey time period
- 1990 to 2016
- Age group
- 15-64 years
- Supplementary notes
- * All figures are estimated mean values. This statistic was assembled from several editions of the World Drug Report. The source gives no data on problem drug usage prevalence before 2004, or for 2014, 2015, or 2016.
Source
- Show sources information
- Show publisher information
- Release date
- June 2018
More information
- Region
- Worldwide
- Survey time period
- 1990 to 2016
- Age group
- 15-64 years
- Supplementary notes
- * All figures are estimated mean values. This statistic was assembled from several editions of the World Drug Report. The source gives no data on problem drug usage prevalence before 2004, or for 2014, 2015, or 2016.
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Statistics on "Global drug use"
- Users
The most important statistics
- Addicts and consumers of illegal drugs worldwide from 1990 to 2016 (in millions)Addicts and consumers of illegal drugs worldwide 1990-2016
- Prevalence of illegal drug use among the global population from 1990 to 2016*Illegal drug users - Global prevalence 1990-2016
- Percentage of illicit drug use in global population by drug type 2016Global population share of illicit drug use by drug 2016
- Number of illicit drug users in the world by drug type 2016* (in thousands)Number of global illicit drug users by drug 2016
- Estimated number of illicit drug users worldwide from 2010 to 2016, by drug (in millions)*Number of illicit drug users worldwide by drug 2010-2016
- Percentage of global drug users that have used either legal or illegal drugs within selected time periods as of 2017Global use of illegal and legal drug types as of 2017
- Percentage of drug users that have used select drugs within the past 12 months as of 2017Global use of select types of drugs within the past year as of 2017
- Percentage of global drug users that have used select drugs within their lifetime as of 2017Global lifetime drug use of select types of drugs as of 2017
- Cannabis
The most important statistics
- Estimated number of cannabis users worldwide from 2008 to 2016, by region (in millions)*Number of cannabis users worldwide by region 2008-2016
- Percentage of global cannabis users that used cannabis in select forms as of 2017, preferred vs. most common methodsMost common methods of cannabis use among global cannabis users as of 2017
- Percentage of cannabis users that used cannabis for a select number of days within the past 12 months as of 2016Cannabis users number of days cannabis was used in last 12 months 2016
- Percentage of cannabis users globally that aim to use less cannabis within the next year as of 2017Percentage of cannabis users that aim to reduce cannabis use as of 2017
- Opioids
The most important statistics
- Number of opiate consumers worldwide by continent from 2010 to 2016 (in millions)Opiate - number of consumers worldwide 2010-2016
- Number of opioid users worldwide in 2015 and 2016, by region (in millions)Number of worldwide users of opioids 2015 and 2016, by region
- Consumption of major synthetic opioids worldwide from 2010 to 2016 (in kilograms)Global consumption of major synthetic opioids by type 2010-2016
- Distribution of fentanyl consumption globally by country in 2016Share of global fentanyl consumption by country 2016
- Distribution of codeine consumption globally by country in 2016*Share of global codeine consumption by country 2016
- Distribution of morphine consumption globally by region in 2016Share of global morphine consumption by region 2016
- Other drugs
The most important statistics
- Estimated number of amphetamine users worldwide from 2008 to 2016, by region (in millions)*Amphetamine users worldwide by region 2008-2016
- Number of cocaine users worldwide from 2010 to 2016, by region (in millions)*Number of worldwide users of cocaine by region 2010-2016
- Estimated number of ecstasy consumers worldwide from 2008 to 2016, by region (in millions)*Ecstasy consumers worldwide by region 2008-2016
- Estimated number of ecstasy consumers worldwide from 2008 to 2016, by structured region*Ecstasy consumers worldwide by structured region 2008-2016
- New psychoactive substances
The most important statistics
- Number of new psychoactive substances worldwide from 2009 to 2016Number of new psychoactive drugs worldwide 2009 to 2016
- Distribution of new psychoactive substances worldwide as of 2016, by substance categoryShare of new psychoactive drugs worldwide 2016, by substance category
- Distribution of new psychoactive substances worldwide as of 2017, by psychoactive effectShare of new psychoactive drugs worldwide 2017, by psychoactive effect
- Deaths
The most important statistics
- Global estimated number of drug deaths from 2000 to 2015Estimated number of drug deaths worldwide from 2000 to 2015
- Distribution of global deaths resulting from drug use disorders in 2015, by ageShare of drug use disorder deaths globally in 2015, by age
- Distribution of leading causes of deaths attributable to drug use worldwide as of 2016Share of leading causes of drug-related deaths globally as of 2016
- Treatment
The most important statistics
- Distribution of people in treatment for drug abuse worldwide in 2015, by drug typeShare of people in treatment for drug use worldwide 2015, by drug type
- Percentage of drug users that have sought emergency medical treatment for select drugs as of 2017Global drug users seeking emergency medical treatment for select drug use as of 2017
- Percentage of drug users of select drugs that have sought emergency medical treatment as of 2017, by genderDrug users that sought emergency medical treatment for drug use as of 2017, by gender
- Percentage of cannabis users seeking emergency medical care following use of cannabis from 2013 to 2016Trend of cannabis users seeking emergency medical treatment 2013-2016
- Drug injection and HIV
The most important statistics
- Global estimated percentage of people who inject drugs in 2016, by region*Global prevalence of people who currently inject drugs by region 2016
- Global estimated number of people who inject drugs as of 2016, by regionGlobal number of people who inject drugs by region 2016
- Prevalence of HIV among drug users in 2016, by world region*Prevalence of HIV among drug users by world region 2016
- Number of drug users with HIV infections in 2016, by world region*Drug users infected with HIV by world region 2016
- Number of people globally who were injecting drugs while living with HIV, hepatitis C, or both as of 2016 (in millions)Number of people injecting drugs with HIV or hepatitis C worldwide in 2016
- Miscellaneous
The most important statistics
- Percentage of people that claimed select reasons were important for their psychedelic drug use over their lifetime as of 2016Motivations for the use of psychedelic drugs globally as of 2016
- Percentage of synthetic cannabinoid users that tried various preparations of this drug from 2015 to 2017Synthetic cannabinoid users that tried various preparations of this drug 2015-2017
- Percentage of synthetic cannabinoid users that sourced this drug from select sources as of 2016Sources of synthetic cannabinoids for purchase worldwide 2016
- Manufacture of opium alkaloids and their derivatives worldwide from 2010 to 2016, by type (in kilograms)Manufacture of global opium alkaloids and derivatives by type 2010-2016
- Manufacture of other synthetic opioids worldwide from 2010 to 2016, by type (in kilograms)Global manufacture of other synthetic opioids by type 2010-2016
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Statistics on "Global drug use"
- Addicts and consumers of illegal drugs worldwide from 1990 to 2016 (in millions)
- Prevalence of illegal drug use among the global population from 1990 to 2016*
- Percentage of illicit drug use in global population by drug type 2016
- Number of illicit drug users in the world by drug type 2016* (in thousands)
- Estimated number of illicit drug users worldwide from 2010 to 2016, by drug (in millions)*
- Percentage of global drug users that have used either legal or illegal drugs within selected time periods as of 2017
- Percentage of drug users that have used select drugs within the past 12 months as of 2017
- Percentage of global drug users that have used select drugs within their lifetime as of 2017
- Estimated number of cannabis users worldwide from 2008 to 2016, by region (in millions)*
- Percentage of global cannabis users that used cannabis in select forms as of 2017, preferred vs. most common methods
- Percentage of cannabis users that used cannabis for a select number of days within the past 12 months as of 2016
- Percentage of cannabis users globally that aim to use less cannabis within the next year as of 2017
- Number of opiate consumers worldwide by continent from 2010 to 2016 (in millions)
- Number of opioid users worldwide in 2015 and 2016, by region (in millions)
- Consumption of major synthetic opioids worldwide from 2010 to 2016 (in kilograms)
- Distribution of fentanyl consumption globally by country in 2016
- Distribution of codeine consumption globally by country in 2016*
- Distribution of morphine consumption globally by region in 2016
- Estimated number of amphetamine users worldwide from 2008 to 2016, by region (in millions)*
- Number of cocaine users worldwide from 2010 to 2016, by region (in millions)*
- Estimated number of ecstasy consumers worldwide from 2008 to 2016, by region (in millions)*
- Estimated number of ecstasy consumers worldwide from 2008 to 2016, by structured region*
- Number of new psychoactive substances worldwide from 2009 to 2016
- Distribution of new psychoactive substances worldwide as of 2016, by substance category
- Distribution of new psychoactive substances worldwide as of 2017, by psychoactive effect
- Global estimated number of drug deaths from 2000 to 2015
- Distribution of global deaths resulting from drug use disorders in 2015, by age
- Distribution of leading causes of deaths attributable to drug use worldwide as of 2016
- Distribution of people in treatment for drug abuse worldwide in 2015, by drug type
- Percentage of drug users that have sought emergency medical treatment for select drugs as of 2017
- Percentage of drug users of select drugs that have sought emergency medical treatment as of 2017, by gender
- Percentage of cannabis users seeking emergency medical care following use of cannabis from 2013 to 2016
- Global estimated percentage of people who inject drugs in 2016, by region*
- Global estimated number of people who inject drugs as of 2016, by region
- Prevalence of HIV among drug users in 2016, by world region*
- Number of drug users with HIV infections in 2016, by world region*
- Number of people globally who were injecting drugs while living with HIV, hepatitis C, or both as of 2016 (in millions)
- Percentage of people that claimed select reasons were important for their psychedelic drug use over their lifetime as of 2016
- Percentage of synthetic cannabinoid users that tried various preparations of this drug from 2015 to 2017
- Percentage of synthetic cannabinoid users that sourced this drug from select sources as of 2016
- Manufacture of opium alkaloids and their derivatives worldwide from 2010 to 2016, by type (in kilograms)
- Manufacture of other synthetic opioids worldwide from 2010 to 2016, by type (in kilograms)
- Number of drug law offenses for international trafficking of illicit substances in France between 2005 and 2010
- Number of drug law offenses for consumption of illicit substances in France between 2005 and 2010
- Estimated global drug-related mortality rate by region 2014 (per million people)
- Estimated global number of drug-related deaths by region 2014
- Estimated percentage of HIV among people who inject drugs in selected cities worldwide as of 2014
- Share of selected drugs used by young adults in Norway in 2016
- Number of psychoactive drug-related deaths reported to NPSAD in Wales in 2012, by implicated drug*
- Share of selected drugs used by young adults in Finland in 2016
- Life-time prevalence of ketamine use in selected countries as of 2015
- Share of individuals who consumed drugs in Spain between 2015 and 2016, by type of drug
- Share of individuals who used drugs in the last two days in Italy in 2017, by gender and occupation
- Amount of (selected) drugs seized worldwide between 2005 and 2009 (in tons)
- Number of new psychoactive substances worldwide reported from 2009 to 2014
- Share in the amount of cannabis herb seized worldwide in 2010, by region
- Distribution of worldwide cocaine seizure in 2010, by region*
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