Global cocaine production reaches record high in 2025, UNODC reports

Coca bush cultivation and cocaine manufacturing have climbed to historic levels, driven by expanding production in South America and strong demand in North America and Europe.

Global cocaine production hit an all-time high in 2025, according to the latest United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report.

Coca bush cultivation has spread to new regions in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, while processing labs have grown larger and harder to detect.

Traffickers are using more maritime routes and commercial shipping containers to move cocaine into North America and Europe, where demand remains robust.

Analysts say the record output points to a long-term oversupply that is pushing wholesale prices down in some markets while increasing violence along transit routes.