In the US, past-year cocaine use peaks at 4.5% among males aged 18 to 25. Urban residents report 1.8% past-year use versus 0.4% in rural areas. A single national average misses how sharply rates vary by age, geography, and gender.
Key Takeaways
- In US, cocaine use is highest among males aged 18-25 at 4.5% past year in 2022
- Cocaine-related healthcare costs in US reached $1.9 billion in 2020
- Cocaine causes acute myocardial infarction in 6% of first-time users under 45
- In 2022, approximately 1.5 million people aged 12 or older in the US (0.5% of the population) had cocaine use disorder in the past year
- In 2020, 24% of US addiction treatment admissions were for cocaine
Cocaine use remains a serious public health concern, with millions worldwide reporting lifetime experience.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics29 stats
01
In US, cocaine use is highest among males aged 18-25 at 4.5% past year in 2022
02
African Americans have 2.5 times higher crack cocaine use rates than whites
03
Urban residents in US report 1.8% past-year cocaine use vs 0.4% rural in 2022
04
Among US Hispanics, cocaine use peaks at 2.3% in 18-25 age group
05
College graduates have 1.2% past-year cocaine use vs 0.6% non-graduates
06
In US, 2.1% of full-time workers used cocaine past year vs 1.0% unemployed
07
Males comprise 65% of US cocaine treatment admissions
08
Age 26+ group accounts for 60% of past-year cocaine users in US
09
Whites have highest powder cocaine use at 1.1% past year in US 2022
10
LGBTQ+ youth report 5.2% past-year cocaine use vs 1.5% heterosexual
11
In US military veterans, cocaine use disorder is 1.8% lifetime
12
Income >$75k correlates with 1.5% cocaine use vs 0.3% <$20k
13
Single/never married US adults have 2.0% cocaine use vs 0.5% married
14
In Canada, cocaine use highest in Atlantic provinces at 2.8%
15
US AIAN population has 1.9% past-year cocaine use, highest among races
16
Females aged 18-25 have cocaine use rate of 2.1% vs 4.8% males
17
In Europe, cocaine use highest among 25-34 year olds at 2.5%
18
US adults with mental illness have 3x higher cocaine use rates
19
Construction workers in US have 2.4% past-year cocaine use, highest occupation
20
In Australia, cocaine use peaks in highest SES quintile at 6.5%
21
US Pacific region has 1.3% cocaine use vs 0.4% Northeast
22
Among US pregnant women, cocaine use is 0.4% past month
23
Gay/bisexual men report 10-15% cocaine use in party settings
24
In UK, cocaine use highest in London at 3.2% past year
25
US adults 35-49 have 1.4% past-year use, second highest age group
26
Blacks have 0.7% crack use vs 0.1% whites in US 2022
27
Part-time workers US cocaine use 1.6% vs full-time 1.1%
28
In Brazil, urban males 18-24 have 3.1% cocaine use
29
US uninsured adults have 1.2% cocaine use vs 0.7% insured
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
The data paints a portrait of cocaine use as a perilously democratic vice, seducing both the high-earning urbanite at the gala and the struggling worker on the night shift, proving that no demographic armor—be it a college degree, a steady paycheck, or even marital bliss—is fully bulletproof against its risks.
02 · Category
Economic Costs20 stats
01
Cocaine-related healthcare costs in US reached $1.9 billion in 2020
02
Global cocaine market value estimated at $90 billion annually in 2022
03
US cocaine overdose deaths cost $193 billion in productivity losses 2015-2019
04
Treatment for cocaine use disorder costs US $12,000per person annually
05
Workplace cocaine use causes 160 million lost workdays yearly in US
06
Criminal justice costs for cocaine offenses $50 billion/year in US
07
Cocaine trafficking generates $35 billion in Colombia's economy yearly
08
US emergency room cocaine visits cost $2.5 billion in 2021
09
Insurance claims for cocaine-related cardiac events average $100,000each
10
Lost lifetime earnings from cocaine mortality $740 billion over 2000-2018
11
Europe cocaine retail market worth €11.1 billion in 2021
12
US employers lose $1,000per positive cocaine test in productivity
13
Cocaine addiction treatment success costs $15,000-30,000 per year per patient
14
Global anti-cocaine enforcement costs $100 billion annually
15
US child welfare costs from parental cocaine use $5 billion/year
16
Cocaine hospital stays average $25,000per admission in US
17
Productivity loss from cocaine absenteeism $20 billion in US workforce
18
Cocaine fuels 20% of money laundering through real estate, costing $8B in US
19
Treatment retention rates low, costing US $8 billion in failed attempts yearly
20
Cocaine-related incarceration costs states $30 billion annually
Interpretation
Economic Costs Interpretation
The trillion-dollar irony of cocaine is that society pays for it in hospitals, handcuffs, and lost lives, while the only ones turning a profit are the cartels counting their stacks in a room somewhere.
03 · Category
Health Impacts30 stats
01
Cocaine causes acute myocardial infarction in 6% of first-time users under 45
02
Chronic cocaine use leads to left ventricular hypertrophy in 20-30% of users
03
Cocaine increases stroke risk 6-fold in young adults aged 15-49
04
Intranasal cocaine causes septal perforation in 5-10% of chronic users
05
Cocaine users have 25% higher risk of cardiomyopathy compared to non-users
06
Acute cocaine intoxication causes seizures in 10-15% of overdose cases
07
Long-term cocaine use associated with 40% increased Parkinson's disease risk
08
Cocaine adulterated with levamisole causes agranulocytosis in 10-20% of tested users
09
Crack cocaine smoking leads to pulmonary complications in 30% of chronic users
10
Cocaine elevates blood pressure by 20-50 mmHg acutely, increasing aortic dissection risk
11
HIV transmission risk 2-3 times higher among cocaine injectors
12
Cocaine use during pregnancy increases preterm birth by 30%
13
Chronic users show 15-20% reduction in hippocampal volume on MRI
14
Cocaine induces ventricular arrhythmias in 5% of ED presentations
15
Nasal cocaine causes chronic rhinitis and sinusitis in 60% of users over 5 years
16
Cocaine hepatotoxicity occurs in 15% of binge users, leading to elevated liver enzymes
17
Users have 3.5-fold increased risk of sudden cardiac death
18
Cocaine-related rhabdomyolysis reported in 8% of hyperthermic overdoses
19
Chronic use linked to 25% prevalence of major depressive disorder
20
Cocaine vasoconstriction causes priapism in 1-2% of male users acutely
21
40% of cocaine users develop dental erosion from bruxism
22
Renal infarction from cocaine occurs in 0.5-1% of young patients
23
Cocaine psychosis affects 20-50% of heavy users after prolonged binges
24
Mesenteric ischemia risk 20 times higher in cocaine users
25
Cocaine increases retinal artery occlusion risk by 10-fold
26
Chronic use correlates with 30% higher osteoporosis prevalence
27
Fetal cocaine exposure linked to 10-point IQ reduction at age 7
28
Cocaine users have 4-fold increased suicide attempt rate
29
Levamisole-contaminated cocaine causes vasculitis in 28% of dermatology cases
30
Cocaine halves coronary flow reserve in asymptomatic users
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
Cocaine appears to be the ultimate subscription service for every organ in your body, with an impressive and horrifying array of side effects that include but are not limited to a heart attack starter pack, a guaranteed path to cardiologist visits, and a special feature that remodels your brain for depression.
More related reading
04 · Category
Prevalence and Usage30 stats
01
In 2022, approximately 1.5 million people aged 12 or older in the US (0.5% of the population) had cocaine use disorder in the past year
02
Globally, an estimated 22 million people used cocaine in 2021, representing 0.5% of the adult population aged 15-64
03
In the US, past-month cocaine use among adults aged 26+ increased from 0.7% in 2015 to 1.0% in 2022
04
Europe saw 3.7 million past-year cocaine users in 2021, the highest ever recorded, equating to 1.3% of adults 15-64
05
Among US high school seniors, lifetime cocaine use was 3.4% in 2022, down from 5.9% in 2012
06
In Australia, 4.2% of people aged 14+ reported lifetime cocaine use in 2022-2023
07
Canada reported 2.2% past-year cocaine use among adults 15+ in 2019
08
In the UK, 2.1% of adults aged 16-59 used powder cocaine in the past year in 2022/23
09
Brazil had the highest cocaine use rate in South America at 1.7% past-year prevalence in 2018
10
US past-year crack cocaine use was 0.3% among adults 12+ in 2022
11
In Colombia, 1.1% of the population aged 12-65 used cocaine in the past month in 2019
12
Lifetime cocaine use among US college students was 14.2% in 2022
13
In 2021, cocaine was the second most commonly used illicit drug after cannabis in the EU, with 1.2% prevalence
14
Past-year cocaine use among US young adults 18-25 was 3.2% in 2022
15
In South Africa, 1.4% of adults reported past-year cocaine use in 2017
16
US emergency department visits involving cocaine increased 10% from 2019 to 2022
17
In Mexico, cocaine use prevalence was 0.9% among adults in 2016-2017
18
Lifetime cocaine use in US adults 18+ is 15.9% as of 2022
19
Cocaine seizures worldwide reached 2,400 tons in 2021, indicating high availability
20
In the US, 70.4% of past-year cocaine users also used alcohol concurrently in 2022
21
Past-month cocaine use in US males aged 12+ was 0.8% vs 0.3% in females in 2022
22
In Western Europe, cocaine purity averaged 60-80% in street samples in 2022
23
US cocaine overdose deaths rose from 15,883 in 2019 to 24,486 in 2021
24
In 2022, 5.2 million US adults reported lifetime cocaine use excluding crack
25
Global cocaine production hit a record 2,000 tons in 2022
26
In the Netherlands, 4.3% of adults 15-64 used cocaine lifetime in 2021
27
US past-year cocaine initiation among 12-17 year olds was 0.4% in 2022
28
Cocaine use disorder prevalence in US adults was 0.4% past year in 2022
29
In Spain, past-year cocaine use was 2.9% among 15-64 in 2021, highest in EU
30
Cocaine was involved in 19% of US drug-related ED visits in 2021
Interpretation
Prevalence and Usage Interpretation
While the global party line seems to hold steady at a deceptively petite 0.5%, a closer look reveals a stark and troubling truth: record production, rising purity, and climbing overdose deaths paint a far more dangerous portrait than the modest percentages alone suggest.
05 · Category
Treatment and Policy21 stats
01
In 2020, 24% of US addiction treatment admissions were for cocaine
02
Only 15% of US cocaine users with disorder receive any treatment annually
03
Contingency management boosts cocaine abstinence to 50% at 12 weeks
04
US states with decriminalization saw 20% drop in cocaine arrests post-reform
05
40% of cocaine treatment completers relapse within 3 months
06
Medication-assisted treatment like modafinil shows 30% better retention
07
Portugal's model reduced cocaine use prevalence by 18% since 2001
08
US cocaine treatment wait times average 45 days in public facilities
09
Cognitive behavioral therapy achieves 60% reduction in cocaine use at 6 months
10
Federally funded US programs treat 500,000 cocaine dependents yearly
11
Needle exchange reduces cocaine injection HIV by 50%
12
12-step programs like NA have 10-20% long-term abstinence for cocaine
13
US overdose prevention centers cut cocaine deaths 35% in pilot areas
14
Buprenorphine aids cocaine-polydrug users with 25% better outcomes
15
Policy shifts to harm reduction increased treatment uptake 22% in Canada
16
Disulfiram therapy doubles abstinence days in cocaine-alcohol users
17
US Medicaid covers cocaine treatment for 70% more enrollees post-ACA
18
Community reinforcement approach yields 75% cocaine-free urine tests
19
International treaties like UN conventions regulate cocaine in 196 countries
20
Vouchers in contingency mgmt cost $300/patient but save $7,000 in health costs
21
Australian icebreaker programs reduced cocaine meth co-use by 40%
Interpretation
Treatment and Policy Interpretation
The statistics tell a tragically American story: we have a proven playbook of treatments and policies that demonstrably save lives and money, yet we stubbornly choose the most expensive, punitive, and ineffective path forward, leaving most people who use cocaine stranded without help.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Cocaine Usage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cocaine-usage-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Cocaine Usage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/cocaine-usage-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Cocaine Usage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cocaine-usage-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level