17 Countries with the Biggest Drug Problems in the World

Drug addiction is a major problem in the world, and these 17 countries with the biggest drug problems in the world are leading the way.

According to the United Nations Drug Office on Drugs and Crime report for 2017, 29.5 million people around the world suffer from drug use disorders. Beware that this number refers only to those people who suffer from drug-related disorders and not the number of drug users. Opioids are the most harmful type of drug, accounted for 70% of negative health impact associated with drugs. “Opioids” is a term used for the entire family of opiates including synthetic and natural opioids. Opiates cover a large range of drugs, some of which can be legally acquired. Examples of opiate include heroin, morphine, oxycodone, codeine, etc.

Although drug free countries don’t really exist, drug consumption varies from country to country. Drug Abuse website compiled a list of countries with harshest laws for drug possession, and one might expect that these countries could be least drug addicted countries in the world, but still some of them appeared on our list of most drug addicted countries in the world. Countries with biggest drug problems usually involve countries that produce large amounts of drugs which means that drugs in these countries are easier to get and the prices can be much lower. To find out which countries produce most drugs, take a look at our list of countries that produce the most illegal drugs in the world. Statistics vary from city to city as well, and most drug addicted cities are scattered all around the world. We’ve compiled the list of top 20 most addicted, drug infested cities in America in 2017, using the newest data for the territory of the US. In India, for example, the most drug addicted cities are located in Punjab where four out of ten men are addicted to drugs. Top drug trafficking city in this country is Mumbai, immediately followed by the capital, New Delhi.

How did we compile this list? The starting point was the already mentioned Insider Monkey’s list of most drug addicted countries in the world and since our today’s list is a bit longer, additional research was necessary. We consulted United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) website and their World Drug Report for 2017 as well as the World Drug Report for 2016. We also took a look at the interactive map of drug (ab)use around the world which was also compiled based on UNODC data. We isolated the countries with highest drug abuse and added them to our list as well. Countries are ranked according to data on people treated for drug abuse per million (found on the above-mentioned interactive map). However, these numbers should not be treated as absolute facts and something unchangeable, although it served well as a factor according to which we can rank countries on our list of 17 countries with the biggest drug problems in the world. Pay attention to the ranking of the countries since some countries (according to this data) are ranked low on the list although they are well-known for drug wars, cartels and large production of opioids. This is one more reason to question any published data since it is very hard to get accurate data from developing countries. We warned you, you might be surprised. Let’s take a look at the list now.

17. Brazil

People treated for drug abuse per million: No Data

Brazil is one of the most violent countries in the world (homicide rate is 27.1 per 100,000) and this is closely connected with drug trafficking operations. Between 2001 and 2011, 16 million jobs were created and unemployment rates were decreased and yet homicide rate increased. Murder victims are often young men recruited by drug gangs. In between surveys conducted in 2001 and 2005, a number of people ages 12 to 65 who used drugs doubled.

16. Colombia

People treated for drug abuse per million: 25.6

With the TV series Narcos, hardly anyone can stay in ignorance about the presence of drugs in Colombia, the next one on our list of countries with the biggest drug problems in the world. After the death of drug lord, Pablo Escobar, in Medellin, Colombia, criminal cartels changed but the drug problem remained a major issue in Colombia. The freshly published article suggests that (another) cocaine boom is currently happening in Colombia and constant violence on Colombian streets is happening mostly because of drug-related issues.

15. Mexico

People treated for drug abuse per million: 571.7

Mexico’s bloody drug war is continuing and the number of casualties is constantly increasing. Between January and June 2017, 12,155 homicide cases opened making it the bloodiest beginning of the year.

14. Afghanistan

People treated for drug abuse per million: 698,8

Afghanistan produces around 90% of all opiate drugs in the world and now more than million Afghanis are addicted to drugs which makes it proportionally the highest figure in the world (Afghanistan has a population of ca. 35 million). Most common drugs are hashish and opium and individuals are introduced to the world of drugs rather early. BBC report gives the example of an 18-year old who’s hooked on heroin for ten years already. His uncle introduced him to heroin as a child to make him work harder at the farm. It is a bit of a paradox that Afghanistan,  which is the number one producer of opioids in the world, ranked this low on the list of 17 countries with the biggest drug problems in the world, but it is possible that not so many people seek help for drug abuse in Afghanistan or that they are simply not documented. In any case, even countries that are ranked pretty low on this list, have serious drug problems.

13. Spain

People treated for drug abuse per million: 1,608.6

According to Europian Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Abuse (EMCDDA), Spain has one of the highest rates of drug use in Europe. Out of 411,157 reported drug offenders (in 2015), 95% were charged with use/possession of drugs and 5% for supplying illicit substances.

12. Bolivia

People treated for drug abuse per million: 2,329.8

Up next on our list of countries with the biggest drug problems in the world is Bolivia, that is the third largest producer of coca (the raw material used to make cocaine) in the world. This country faces numerous security challenges especially due to coca cultivation and transnational drug trafficking. It is safe to say that majority of security problems stem from drug-related issues. Bolivia withdrew from the global drug treaty in 2011 and coca consumption is legal since then. Bolivia is also one of the centers for drug trafficking especially for locally produced cocaine and cocaine that is imported from Peru. The majority is exported to Brazil, the second largest market of cocaine in the world and some quantities are exported to Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and even Europe.

11. United Kingdom

People treated for drug abuse per million: 2,813.2

According to Global Drug Survey 2017, 65% of participants from the UK which ranks 11th on our list of countries with the biggest drug problems in the world, used illegal drugs in the last 12 months. In 2014, United Kingdom had a record number of drug-induced deaths and the further increase was expected in the future.

10. Canada

People treated for drug abuse per million: 2,877.3

Despite the fact that Canada is on the list of developed countries, it has very big drug problems, especially with the use of fentanyl. Fentanyl is an opioid in the class of painkillers and the illegal supply chain starts in China. According to United Nations report, no country in the world consumes more prescription opioids than Canada. Further investigations found that doctors too frequently prescribe highly addictive opioids to treat chronic pain. Sometimes the dosage is too heavy, and it is not a rare case that families or even doctors overdose the individuals who use painkillers.

9. Portugal

People treated for drug abuse per million: 3,162.5

Portugal is a unique case on our list of 17 countries with the biggest drug problems in the world. The reason for this is the unique approach to fight drug abuse. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized the use of drugs, including cocaine and heroin and drug addiction is treated as a medical issue rather than as a crime. Health Ministry estimated that “only” around 25,000 Portuguese use heroin which is significantly lower than the 100,000 when the policy started. According to EMCDDA data, among drug users, there is a significantly higher percentage of men than women (for heroin: 89% of men and 11% of women and when it comes to cocaine use, 80% of men and 20% of women).

8. Italy

People treated for drug abuse per million: 4,141.5

Heroin use is growing in Italy as well, especially among the younger population. Out of 61,145 drug offenders in Italy (data for 2015), 55% were arrested for possession/use and 45% for supplying others with drugs. Every cloud has a silver lining and in this case, a majority of drug consumption is focused on cannabis which has less serious consequences that opium drugs like heroin.

7. Thailand

People treated for drug abuse per million: 6,504

Despite the fact that Thailand has very strict laws when it comes to possession and/or distribution of drugs, drug problems are still very serious in this country. Newest reports show that southern villages in Thailand are devastated by drug abuse. Drugs are destroying families as well and in 2016, 80% of 525 filings for divorce were filed because of drug use.

6. USA

People treated for drug abuse per million: 6,960.4

Drug overdoses are leading cause of death of Americans under the age of 50. Drugs are taking its toll and in 2016, 59,000 to 65,000 people died from an overdose. In translation, drugs kill more people than car accidents or shootings. Since 2010, West Virginia tops the list of states with the highest number of drug-related deaths.

5. Turkmenistan

People treated for drug abuse per million: 7,863.8

The major drug problem in Turkmenistan which ranks 5th on our list of countries with the biggest drug problems in the world is the usage of heroin. Addiction is a huge problem and every extended Turkmen family has at least one drug addict. Since Turkmenistan shares a long border with Afghanistan which produces 90% of world’s opioids, it is easy to conclude that drugs can easily be transported across the border to Turkmenistan.

4. Iceland

People treated for drug abuse per million: 8,466.4

According to World Atlas, Iceland, the next one on the list of countries with the biggest drug problems in the world, is at the top of the list of countries with highest overdose rates. The problem of drug use is especially common among youth and Iceland is apparently successful at tackling this issue. Among Nordic countries, Iceland is at the top of the list when it comes to the use of sedatives, sleeping pills, stimulants and anti-anxiety drugs.

3. Australia

People treated for drug abuse per million: 9,168.4

We are continuing our list of countries with the biggest drug problems in the world with Australia which has one of the biggest drug problems in the world, ranging from cocaine use to amphetamines and opiates. Some of the most common addictions is the addiction to highly addictive substances, Oxycodone and Fentanyl. Australia has the highest use of methamphetamine in the English-speaking world with 7% of the population who used methamphetamine (around 1.3 million), compared to 0.4 % in the USA.

2. Iran

People treated for drug abuse per million: 14,191.7

Just like Afghanistan, Iran has one of the biggest drug problems in the world and heroin abuse is on the rise, making 67% of drug consumption in Iran. According to some estimates, 2.2 million (2.75% of the population) are drug addicts.

1. New Zealand

People treated for drug abuse per million: 14,392

New Zealand (and Australia) are second only to Thailand when it comes to the use of methamphetamine and ecstasy. More than two-thirds of Kiwis said that they used at least one illegal drug in addition to legal ones (e.g., prescription medicine). 4.3% used cocaine, 6.3 % used LSD, 7.8% used MDMA, 3.1% used methamphetamine and 38.6% of respondents used cannabis in the previous year. High numbers of people treated for drug abuse in New Zealand were the highest on our list and that’s why this is the country with biggest drug problems.

This wraps it up for our list of 17 countries with the biggest drug problems in the world.