Opium prices in Afghanistan have surged, rising tenfold since the country’s de facto authorities imposed a drug ban in 2022, according to the latest data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
A kilogram of opium, which cost just $75 three years ago, reached $750 in 2023, offsetting the decline in poppy cultivation and production, the UN agency reported. Despite the restrictions, Afghanistan remains a key player in the global opium trade, alongside Colombia and Myanmar.
While heroin and opium seizures have decreased by 50% in weight since 2021, UNODC warns that the surge in prices has not disrupted the lucrative drug trade. Instead, the profits are now concentrated in the hands of high-level traders and organized crime networks that continue to dominate the illicit market.
“Drug trafficking in Afghanistan remains a highly profitable illicit trade,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly. “The profits are being channeled to transnational organized crime groups, destabilizing Afghanistan, the region, and beyond.”
The agency estimates that at the end of 2022, Afghanistan’s opiate stockpiles stood at 13,200 tonnes—enough to sustain global demand until 2027. Prior to the decline in cultivation, these stockpiles were valued between $4.6bn and $5.9bn, representing nearly a quarter of Afghanistan’s economy in 2023.
Despite the high prices, the majority of Afghan farmers—who were once reliant on opium cultivation for their livelihoods—are struggling financially. UNODC estimates that large traders and exporters hold about 60% of the remaining opium stockpiles, while only 30% is in the hands of farmers.
“Most farmers who previously cultivated opium are likely experiencing severe financial hardship,” the UN agency warned, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable economic alternatives to prevent a return to poppy cultivation.
As opium supplies tighten, UNODC has also raised concerns that the shortage could push buyers and traffickers toward synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which pose an even greater public health risk.
The agency has called for a coordinated international response that targets trafficking networks while simultaneously investing in alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers to ensure long-term stability.
