Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The global cocaine market is the fastest-growing segment of the illicit drug trade, driven by rising production in South America and increasing demand in Africa and Asia, according to a United Nations report released this week.
Ecuador, meanwhile, has become one of the countries most affected by violence and the expansion of drug trafficking routes, the report said.
The findings appear in the 2025 report of the International Narcotics Control Board, the U.N. body responsible for monitoring compliance with international drug control treaties. It was published Thursday.
Global cocaine production exceeded 3,700 metric tons in 2023, a 34% increase compared with 2022, according to the control board.
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