A bar chart showing the share of the population with drug use disorders by age group, globally, in 2023. The data indicates that the highest prevalence is among younger adults.

Horizontal bar chart displaying the percentage of the population with drug use disorders by age group, with percentages listed next to each bar.

Share of the population with drug use disorders by age, World, 2023 Share of population within each category suffering from drug use disorders. Drug dependence is defined by the International Classification of Diseases as the presence of three or more indicators of dependence for at least a month within the previous year. Drug dependency includes all illicit drugs. 70+ years 0.14% 65-69 years 0.2% 60-64 years 0.27% 55-59 years 0.37% 50-54 years 0.49% 45-49 years 0.62% 40-44 years 0.8% 35-39 years 0.97% 30-34 years 1.28% 25-29 years 1.69% 20-24 years 1.76% 15-19 years 1.01% 10-14 years 0.07% Data source: IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2025) OurWorldInData.org/illicit-drug-use | CC BY Our World in Data