Australians consumed record amounts of illicit drugs in 2025, particularly methylamphetamine (ice and speed), cocaine, MDMA, and heroin.
The findings come from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), which tracks drug use by testing sewage samples across the country.
Its latest reporting draws on wastewater data representing about 14 million Australians, collected between December 2024 and October 2025.
Here’s what ACIC found.
Record high
Use of the most commonly consumed illicit drugs in the 12 months to August 2025 increased by 21% overall – about 4,600kg more than the previous reporting period.
Here’s how much use of each drug increased:
Consumption
The estimated street value of these drugs has risen to a record $14.3 billion, up from $11.5 billion the year before.
Nationally, Australians consumed 26,884kg of meth, cocaine, MDMA, and heroin.
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Here’s a breakdown:
Other drugs
- Ketamine use hit record levels in Dec 2024, before steadily declining through 2025.
- Cannabis was still the most used drug after nicotine and alcohol, but consumption in August 2025 decreased slightly compared to the year before.
- Nicotine use rose 4% nationally, with more use in regional areas.
- Alcohol consumption remained generally steady nationally, falling in capital cities but ticking up slightly in the regions.
Why?
ACIC’s report said the data points to “unambiguous evidence that several of Australia’s most significant illicit drug markets continue to expand.”
It says the trends mirror what’s happening overseas, particularly the rise in production and distribution of meth and cocaine.
It said Australia has “plentiful supplies” of meth and cocaine, driven by criminal groups that are increasingly using more sophisticated methods to evade law enforcement.
