Mexico’s drug cartels generate over $12 billion annually—far surpassing Colombia’s cartels—according to the 2025 UN World Drug Report. Cocaine, heroin, and meth trafficking drive profits.
Mexican drug cartels are now the world’s top-earning criminal organizations in the drug trade, generating a staggering $12.1 billion annually—far outpacing their Colombian counterparts. That’s one of the key takeaways from the 2025 World Drug Report released Thursday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The report highlights the scale and scope of organized drug trafficking operations in Mexico, calling them some of the most lucrative criminal enterprises in the world. Between 2015 and 2019, Colombian cartels—the long-standing symbol of Latin American narco-trafficking—were estimated to bring in between $1.2 billion and $2.6 billion per year. In stark contrast, Mexican groups were making nearly five times that amount annually.
UN data shows that from 2015 to 2018 alone, Mexican criminal organizations earned $4.5 billion annually from cocaine trafficking. Their heroin operations netted $4.8 billion per year, while methamphetamine sales contributed another $2.8 billion annually.
The UNODC report makes clear that, while estimates vary, global drug trafficking remains one of the most profitable illegal industries, generating hundreds of billions of dollars a year. For many criminal groups, it is their primary source of income and influence.
“The illegal production, trafficking, and distribution of controlled drugs is a particularly important revenue-generating activity for organized criminal groups, which are known to operate in virtually every drug market in the world,” the report states.
Presented in Vienna, the report warns that these illicit economies not only fund criminal enterprises but also fuel corruption, violence, and the destabilization of governments. In countries like Mexico, where some cartels exert territorial control, the drug trade has empowered organizations to directly challenge the state.
The report outlines several criminal group structures, noting that not all cartels function the same way. Some, like Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, are highly centralized with rigid hierarchies and defined roles. Others, such as the Neapolitan Camorra in Italy or Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital, combine internal control with widespread violence and an ability to impose order in areas where government presence is weak or contested.
While most revenue is generated at the retail level, the report emphasizes that international and wholesale markets—where far fewer actors operate—offer the highest profits. These upper tiers are almost exclusively dominated by organized criminal groups.
Retail Drug Markets Drive Revenue in Rich Countries
The UN report also includes a breakdown of drug market values in major economies. In 2016, the retail drug market in the United States was valued at $146 billion—equivalent to 0.8 percent of the country’s GDP. In the European Union, the figure was $31 billion annually.
Despite being illegal, drug use continues to rise globally. An estimated 316 million people used drugs in 2023, representing six percent of the adult population and a 28 percent increase over the past decade. Cannabis remains the most widely consumed drug, with 244 million users, followed by opioids (61 million), cocaine (31 million), ecstasy (25 million), and amphetamines (21 million).
The report also shines a light on disparities in treatment for drug-related disorders. Just one in five people with severe drug problems receive treatment. In regions like Africa and Asia, access is particularly low. Women are disproportionately underserved: only 5.5 percent of women with serious drug use disorders receive care, compared to 13.6 percent of men.
Cocaine Production Hits Record High
Cocaine production worldwide reached a record 3,700 tons in 2023—a 34 percent increase over the previous year and nearly four times the volume produced in 2014. The explosion in supply has fueled violence in transit and distribution zones, as cartels fight to secure territory and smuggling routes.
Meanwhile, the opiate market saw a dramatic decline in one of its biggest production centers. In Afghanistan, opium production dropped by 93 percent since 2022 following Taliban-imposed restrictions. However, the sharp decline has triggered a surge in prices, disrupting supply chains and prompting traffickers to seek synthetic alternatives.
Among those alternatives, synthetic opioids like fentanyl have become a global concern due to their potency and deadly impact. In the United States alone, fentanyl was linked to 48,000 overdose deaths in 2024.
A Global Business with Local Consequences
The UN’s 2025 report underscores what many already know: drug trafficking is no longer a regional or isolated problem. It’s a global enterprise—one that funds violence, undermines institutions, and brings in profits rivaling those of multinational corporations.
In Mexico, where cartels continue to evolve and expand their reach, the consequences are far from abstract. Their power reshapes entire regions, influences political decisions, and leaves a trail of violence that affects communities from rural villages to urban centers.
As the global drug trade expands, the UN warns that without effective policy, international cooperation, and social investment, criminal groups will continue to grow—and profit.
