Dashboard. Heroin market in Europe
Publication date
Description
This resource is part of the European Drug Report 2023, the EMCDDA's annual overview of the drug situation in Europe.
EU+2 refers to EU Member States, Norway and Türkiye.
Price and purity: mean national values – minimum, maximum and interquartile range. Countries vary by indicator.
Source data
The data used to generate infographics and charts on this page may be found below.
List of tables
- Table 1 (age distribution of all clients entering treatment with heroin as their primary drug, 2010 and 2021)
- Table 2 (age distribution of never previously treated clients entering treatment with heroin as their primary drug, 2010 and 2021)
- Table 3 (users entering treatment)
- Table 4 (trends in first-time heroin entrants for treatment)
- Table 5 (Trends in the main route of administration of clients)
- Table 6 (heroin market seizures data)
- Table 7 (heroin market seizures trends — numbers)
- Table 8 (heroin market seizures trends — weight)
- Table 9 (heroin market price and purity data)
- Table 10 (heroin market price and purity indexed trends)
- Table 11 (hospital emergencies: proportion of the acute drug toxicity presentations with heroin)
| Age range | <15 | 15-19 | 20-24 | 25-29 | 30-34 | 35-39 | 40-44 | 45-49 | 50-54 | 55-59 | 60-64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Age range | <15 | 15-19 | 20-24 | 25-29 | 30-34 | 35-39 | 40-44 | 45-49 | 50-54 | 55-59 | 60-64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Country | Males (%) | Females (%) | First- time | Previously treated | Unknown treatment status | Age at first use (mean) | Age at first treatment (mean) | Daily (%) | 4 to 6 days per week (%) | 2 to 3 days per week (%) | Once a week or less (%) | Not used in the last 30 days (%) | Substance | Injecting | Smoking/inhaling | Eating/drinking | Sniffing | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU | 83 | 17 | 54782 | 32157 | 10366 | 16 | 26 | 51 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 22 | Cannabis | |||||
| EU | 84 | 16 | 25426 | 25627 | 2508 | 23 | 33 | 27 | 13 | 23 | 16 | 21 | Cocaine | 2 | 28 | 2 | 68 | 1 |
| EU | 83 | 17 | 10112 | 39452 | 0 | 23 | 36 | 59 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 20 | Heroin | 30 | 51 | 1 | 17 | 1 |
| EU | 76 | 24 | 4963 | 4557 | 826 | 21 | 30 | 28 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 29 | Amphetamine | 7 | 8 | 15 | 70 | 0.3 |
| EU | 76 | 24 | 5214 | 5210 | 386 | 25 | 32 | 34 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 26 | Methamphetamine | 26 | 38 | 2 | 34 | 0.2 |
| EU | 84 | 16 | 352 | 276 | 61 | 25 | 30 | 28 | 15 | 23 | 22 | 12 | Cathinones | 29 | 9 | 5 | 57 | 35 |
| Country | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 3614 | 2033 | 1972 | 1972 | 1559 | 1696 |
| Spain | 2353 | 2259 | 2223 | 2384 | 1771 | 1771 |
| Italy | 6838 | 5567 | 3942 | 4015 | 3320 | 2878 |
| France | 1184 | 959 | 939 | 768 | 651 | 651 |
| Other | 6131 | 5750 | 5448 | 5055 | 3608 | 3409 |
| Treatment status | Route | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Previously treated | Injecting | 42 | 44 | 40 | 39 | 35 | 36 | 34 | 36 | 33 |
| Previously treated | Smoking/inhaling | 39 | 39 | 42 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 49 |
| Previously treated | Other | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 |
| First-time | Injecting | 35 | 37 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 19 |
| First-time | Smoking/inhaling | 43 | 45 | 48 | 52 | 54 | 57 | 59 | 59 | 62 |
| First-time | Other | 22 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 |
| Scope | Substance | Type | Number of seizures | Quantity seized (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU | Heroin | 19000 | 9.5 | |
| EU+2 | Heroin | 34000 | 31.8 |
| Scope | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU+2 | 35753 | 32266 | 33162 | 33897 | 41629 | 32659 | 36210 | 41812 | 36118 | 34337 | 34143 |
| EU | 31133 | 26849 | 25874 | 25595 | 28180 | 23482 | 22650 | 22733 | 19170 | 18499 | 18709 |
| Country | substance> | Type | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | Heroin | 7.294 | 13.301 | 13.48 | 12.756 | 8.294 | 5.585 | 17.385 | 17.811 | 20.165 | 13.376 | 22.202 | |
| Belgium | Heroin | 0.14 | 0.112 | 1.182 | 0.149 | 0.121 | 0.099 | 0.053 | 4.537 | 1.929 | 0.684 | 1.554 | |
| France | Heroin | 0.883 | 0.701 | 0.57 | 0.99 | 0.818 | 1.08 | 0.658 | 1.115 | 1.073 | 1.132 | 1.3 | |
| Bulgaria | Heroin | 0.385 | 0.285 | 0.157 | 0.94 | 0.265 | 0.582 | 0.698 | 1.033 | 0.787 | 0.269 | 1.158 | |
| Italy | Heroin | 0.813 | 0.94 | 0.882 | 0.931 | 0.768 | 0.497 | 0.61 | 0.975 | 0.615 | 0.512 | 0.568 | |
| Greece | Heroin | 0.307 | 0.331 | 0.235 | 2.529 | 0.567 | 0.219 | 0.359 | 0.207 | 0.403 | 0.3 | 0.364 | |
| Spain | Heroin | 0.412 | 0.282 | 0.291 | 0.244 | 0.256 | 0.253 | 0.524 | 0.251 | 0.234 | 0.173 | 0.235 | |
| Other countries | Heroin | 1.289 | 1.911 | 0.986 | 4.116 | 1.627 | 0.975 | 2.153 | 1.474 | 4.04 | 1.581 | 4.376 |
| Substance | Type | Retail price [low, 25%, 75%, high] (EUR/g) | Wholesale price [low, 25%, 75%, high] (EUR/g) | Purity/potency [low, 25%, 75%, high] (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heroin | 19,24,45,93 | 20160,,,31180 | 13,16,24,47 |
| Substance | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Heroin | 20160 | 31180 |
Not enough sample points were available to provide interquartile values for wholesale heroin prices.
| Substance | Type | Index for | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis | Resin | Price | 100 | 101 | 99 | 101 | 101 | 109 | 108 | 102 | 100 | 109 | 103 |
| Cannabis | Resin | Potency | 100 | 126 | 137 | 151 | 157 | 169 | 177 | 194 | 224 | 227 | 291 |
| Cannabis | Herbal | Price | 100 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 101 | 100 | 103 | 101 | 96 | 96 | 94 |
| Cannabis | Herbal | Potency | 100 | 105 | 126 | 131 | 126 | 128 | 135 | 129 | 128 | 133 | 157 |
| Cocaine | Price | 100 | 97 | 98 | 101 | 102 | 106 | 104 | 102 | 98 | 98 | 98 | |
| Cocaine | Purity | 100 | 102 | 112 | 106 | 112 | 126 | 131 | 133 | 138 | 137 | 143 | |
| Heroin | Price | 100 | 102 | 97 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 94 | 92 | 85 | 90 | 84 | |
| Heroin | Purity | 100 | 101 | 120 | 147 | 145 | 137 | 137 | 142 | 154 | 144 | 138 |
| Country | City | lat,lon | Hospital | Year | All presentations | Heroin (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Antwerp | 51.221,4.400 | Antwerp | 2021 | 670 | 5.5 |
| Belgium | Ghent | 51.054,3.725 | Ghent | 2021 | 68 | 2.9 |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | 42.698,23.322 | Sofia | 2021 | 30 | 16.7 |
| Cyprus | Nicosia | 35.175,33.364 | Nicosia | 2021 | 8 | 0 |
| Estonia | Parnu | 58.384,24.508 | Parnu | 2021 | 18 | 0 |
| France | Paris | 48.853,2.348 | Paris | 2021 | 228 | 1.8 |
| Germany | Munich | 48.137,11.575 | Munich | 2021 | 74 | 6.8 |
| Ireland | Drogheda | 53.712,-6.333 | Drogheda | 2021 | 43 | 23.3 |
| Ireland | Dublin | 53.350,-6.260 | Dublin | 2021 | 588 | 18.7 |
| Italy | Rozzano | 45.383,9.154 | Rozzano | 2021 | 26 | 0 |
| Latvia | Riga | 56.949,24.105 | Riga | 2021 | 41 | 2.4 |
| Lithuania | Vilnius | 54.687,25.283 | Vilnius | 2021 | 142 | 4.9 |
| Malta | Msida | 35.896,14.489 | Msida | 2021 | 568 | 19.4 |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | 52.373,4.892 | Amsterdam | 2021 | 492 | 3 |
| Netherlands | Utrecht | 52.081,5.128 | Utrecht | 2021 | 21 | 4.8 |
| Norway | Oslo | 59.913,10.739 | Oslo OAEOC | 2021 | 1562 | 29.5 |
| Norway | Oslo | 59.913,10.739 | Oslo OUH | 2021 | 141 | 15.6 |
| Poland | Gdansk | 54.371,18.613 | Gdansk | 2021 | 50 | 6 |
| Romania | Bucharest | 44.436,26.103 | Bucharest | 2021 | 31 | 0 |
| Slovakia | Bratislava | 48.152,17.109 | Bratislava | 2021 | 59 | 1.7 |
| Slovenia | Ljubljana | 46.050,14.507 | Ljubljana | 2021 | 141 | 24.1 |
| Spain | Barcelona | 41.383,2.177 | Barcelona | 2021 | 209 | 1 |
| Spain | Mallorca | 39.613,2.883 | Mallorca | 2021 | 464 | 9.3 |
| Hospital | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | 33.9 | 34 | 33.8 | 31.1 | 23.9 | 18.7 |
| Msida | 27.5 | 25.2 | 20.2 | 17.4 | 18.1 | 19.4 |
| Oslo OAEOC | 46.8 | 32.9 | 33.9 | 34.6 | 34.4 | 29.5 |
| Riga | 11.1 | 11.8 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 2.4 | |
| Tallinn | 0 | 0.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vilnius | 48.3 | 22.2 | 8 | 5.3 | 4.9 |
Hidden tables for page
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| 0 | Close |
| 1 | Substance |
| 2 | Prevalence type |
| 3 | Age |
| 4 | Gender |
| 5 | prevalence of drug use |
| 6 | percentage (%) |
| 7 | Breakdown by substance |
| 8 | prevalance all available countries |
| 9 | Trends |
| 11 | Males and females |
| 14 | Country |
| 15 | Prevalence data presented here are based on general populaton surveys submitted to the EMCDDA by national focal points. For the latest data and detailed methodological information please see the Statistical Bulletin 2023: Prevalence of drug use. Graphics showing the most recent data for a country are based on studies carried out between 2013 and 2022. Age ranges are 16–34 for Denmark, Estonia, Sweden and Norway; 18–34 for Germany, Greece, France and Hungary.
|
| 16 | About these data |
| 17 | Currently not available for individual countries |
| 101 | prevalence of cannabis use |
| 102 | prevalence of cocaine use |
| 103 | prevalence of MDMA use |
| 104 | prevalence of amphetamine use |
| 105 | prevalence of methamphetamine use |
| 231 | Gender breakdown: all treatment entrants |
| 232 | Mean age: all treatment entrants |
| 233 | Client status — number of clients |
| 234 | First-time entrants |
| 235 | Previously treated entrants |
| 236 | Unknown status |
| 237 | Route of administration (%): all treatment entrants |
| 238 | Injecting |
| 239 | Smoking/inhaling |
| 240 | Eating/drinking |
| 241 | Sniffing |
| 242 | Other |
| 243 | Frequency of use in the last month (%): all treatment entrants |
| 244 | 4 to 6 days per week |
| 245 | 2 to 3 days per week |
| 246 | Once a week or less |
| 247 | Not used in the last 30 days |
| 248 | Trends in first-time treatment entrants |
| 250 | Cannabis market: data and trends |
| 260 | Cannabis type |
| 261 | Daily |
| 265 | COVID-19 pandemic |
| 312 | Geographical coverage (selected graphs) |
| 315 | Number of seizures |
| 324 | Price retail (EUR/g) (EU) |
| 325 | Price wholesale (EUR/kg) (EU) |
| 330 | Quantity seized (tonnes) |
| 360 | Cannabis type |
| 370 | Potency (%) |
| 372 | Purity (%) (EU) |
| 375 | Indexed trends: retail (2011=100) (EU) |
| 385 | Trends in number of seizures (x 1000) |
| 386 | Trends in quantity seized (tonnes) |
| 400 | mg/1000 population/day |
| 500 | Treatment status |
| 550 | Share of presentations with heroin involved (percent) |
| 100200 | Mean use: 4.7 days per week |
| Term | Filter sort |
|---|---|
| Cannabis | -1 |
| Cocaine | -1 |
| Heroin | 1 |
| Amphetamine | -1 |
| Methamphetamine | -1 |
| Cathinones | -1 |
| Category | Filter sort |
|---|---|
| EU | 1 |
| EU+2 | -1 |
| Austria | 101 |
| Belgium | 102 |
| Bulgaria | 103 |
| Croatia | 104 |
| Cyprus | 105 |
| Czechia | 106 |
| Denmark | 107 |
| Estonia | 108 |
| Finland | 109 |
| France | 110 |
| Germany | 111 |
| Greece | 112 |
| Hungary | 113 |
| Ireland | 114 |
| Italy | 115 |
| Latvia | 116 |
| Lithuania | 117 |
| Luxembourg | 118 |
| Malta | 119 |
| Netherlands | 120 |
| Norway | 121 |
| Poland | 122 |
| Portugal | 123 |
| Romania | 124 |
| Slovakia | 125 |
| Slovenia | 126 |
| Spain | 127 |
| Sweden | 128 |
| Türkiye | 129 |
Originally published in
European Drug Report 2023: Trends and Developments
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- Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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