This report offers one of the most comprehensive insights into global trends in international culture, production, seizure and price of illicit drugs. It examines trends in the world's four major markets: opium and heroin, coca and cocaine, cannabis, and amphetamine-type stimulants. This edition provides an in-depth examination of the link between transnational organized crime and drug trafficking. A detailed statistical appendix on production, prices and consumption completes this book, which gives the reader a comprehensive picture of the world's drug problem.

The Report continues to provide in depth trend analysis of the four main drug markets in its first section. In addition, to mark the one hundred year anniversary of the Shanghai Opium Commission, and one hundred years of international drug control, the Report contains an in-depth look at the development of the international drug control system. The Report also contains a small statistical annex which provides a detailed look at production, prices and consumption. As in previous years, the present Report is based on data obtained primarily from the annual reports questionnaire (ARQ) sent by Governments to UNODC in 2007, supplemented by other sources when necessary and where available. Two of the main limitations herein are: (i) that ARQ reporting is not systematic enough, both in terms of number of countries responding and of content, and (ii) that most countries lack the adequate monitoring systems required to produce reliable, comprehensive and internationally comparable data. National monitoring systems are, however, improving and UNODC has contributed to this process.

Many illicit drug markets have reached global dimensions and require control strategies on a comparable scale. In that context, there is a need to better understand these transnational markets and the manner in which they operate. The annual Report, produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is a contribution towards that objective. It provides an overview of the illicit drug situation worldwide and regionally, analytical discussions of the key transnational drug markets and statistical trends for all major drug categories.

The 2019 World Drug Report will include an updated overview of recent trends on production, trafficking and consumption of key illicit drugs. The Report contains a global overview of the baseline data and estimates on drug demand and supply and provides the reference point for information on the drug situation worldwide.

The 2017 WDR will include an updated overview of recent trends on production, trafficking and consumption of key illicit drugs as well as highlighting a thematic area of concern. The Report will maintain a global overview of the baseline data and estimates on drug demand and supply. This part will be descriptive and less analytical to fulfill one of the main functions of the report which is to provide the reference point of information on the drug situation worldwide. Other parts will be more analytical and will look in depth at few specific topics. Issues which will be highlighted in analysing new trends were selected on the basis of available research findings discussed within RAB and other internal and external stakeholders, including the members of the WDR Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). The thematic focus of the 2017 Report will be on the links between drugs, terrorism, corruption, transnational organized crime and illicit financial flows.

As in previous reports, the 2021 World Drug Report (WDR) aims to improve the understanding of the world’s drug problem and to contribute towards fostering greater international cooperation for countering its impact on health, governance and security. Also, to the extent possible, the WDR contributes to the monitoring and reporting of SDGs. This edition includes an updated overview of recent trends on production, trafficking and consumption for non-medical purposes of key controlled substances. It further maintains a global overview of the baseline data and estimates on drug demand and supply and provides an analysis of the market for the different drugs.

Drawing on the Household Living Arrangements of Older Persons 2019 Dataset, the World Population Ageing 2020 Highlights will document key patterns and trends of the household living arrangements of older persons around the world.