About 1.3% of people aged 12 and older used ketamine at least once in their lifetime, and past-year use still sits at 1.7% among US adults in 2019. But ketamine’s impact stretches far beyond survey questions, with ED visits rising 85% from 2004 to 2011 and overdose deaths involving it doubling from 2016 to 2020. The same drug that can work fast for treatment resistant depression and anesthesia also shows up across diversion, polydrug use, and arrest data.
Key Takeaways
- 1.7% of US adults reported past-year ketamine use in 2019 NSDUH
- Ketamine is classified as Schedule III under US Controlled Substances Act
- Lifetime prevalence of ketamine use among US college students is 4.6%
- Global lifetime prevalence of ketamine use is 0.3%
- In US, 1.3% of population aged 12+ used ketamine lifetime (2021)
- Past-month ketamine use among young adults 0.4% (NSDUH 2021)
- Ketamine is FDA-approved for anesthesia induction in humans
- Low-dose ketamine infusions treat treatment-resistant depression
- Esketamine nasal spray was approved by FDA in 2019 for depression
- Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic with a rapid onset of action
- Ketamine hydrochloride is the primary pharmaceutical form used medically
- The chemical formula of ketamine is C13H16ClNO
- Ketamine can cause emergence delirium in 10-20% of patients
- Hypertension occurs in 20-30% of ketamine users
- Nystagmus is a common oculomotor side effect
In 2019, 1.7% of US adults reported past year ketamine use, with rising medical risk.
Related reading
01 · Category
Abuse Potential26 stats
01
1.7% of US adults reported past-year ketamine use in 2019 NSDUH
02
Ketamine is classified as Schedule III under US Controlled Substances Act
03
Lifetime prevalence of ketamine use among US college students is 4.6%
04
Emergency department visits involving ketamine rose 85% from 2004-2011
05
12% of regular users report tolerance development
06
Ketamine sold illicitly as powder or liquid, often cut with other drugs
07
Overdose deaths involving ketamine increased 2-fold 2016-2020
08
0.2% of high school seniors report annual ketamine use (2022 MTFF)
09
Street price of ketamine averages $100per gram
10
Withdrawal symptoms include cravings, anxiety in 30% of dependent users
11
Ketamine involved in 0.3% of drug-related arrests in 2021
12
Polydrug use with ketamine in 70% of abuse cases
13
Club drug surveys show 5-10% lifetime use in rave attendees
14
Ketamine diversion from veterinary sources common
15
In UK, ketamine-related hospital admissions up 57% 2013-2017
16
2.6 million US past-year hallucinogen users include ketamine
17
Addiction potential rated moderate by NIDA
18
20% of users escalate to daily use within months
19
Illicit ketamine purity averages 80-95%
20
Past-year initiation among 12-17: 0.1% (NSDUH 2021)
21
Ketamine trafficking from Mexico to US increasing
22
45% of users report impaired driving after use
23
DSM-5 recognizes ketamine use disorder
24
Treatment seeking for ketamine dependence: 1% of drug rehab
25
Mixed with MDMA in 40% of club scenes
26
Overdose primarily from respiratory failure in polydrug
Interpretation
Abuse Potential Interpretation
Behind the glossy promise of a trendy mental health breakthrough, we find the unvarnished portrait of a party drug with a dark side, where emergency room visits, addiction, and overdose deaths stubbornly rise despite its modest overall user base.
02 · Category
Epidemiological Data23 stats
01
Global lifetime prevalence of ketamine use is 0.3%
02
In US, 1.3% of population aged 12+ used ketamine lifetime (2021)
03
Past-month ketamine use among young adults 0.4% (NSDUH 2021)
04
Australia reports 1.5% annual ketamine use in 25-34 age group
05
In Europe, 1% of adults report lifetime ketamine use (EMCDDA 2022)
06
Hong Kong surveys show 5.7% youth lifetime ketamine use
07
US ED visits for ketamine: 237 per 100,000 users (2009 DAWN)
08
Prevalence among US nightclubbing youth: 11% lifetime (2018)
09
India reports rising ketamine seizures, 20% increase 2020-2022
10
Canada lifetime use 2.1% adults (2019 CCDCS)
11
Ketamine use higher in males: 1.5x female rates (NSDUH)
12
Peak use age 18-25: 2.5% past-year (US data)
13
Wastewater analysis shows ketamine in 20 EU cities (2021)
14
Lifetime use in Netherlands 4.3% young adults
15
Japan ketamine use low: 0.1% lifetime
16
Brazil reports 0.5% urban youth use
17
US military personnel lifetime use 5%
18
Gender disparity: males 1.8%, females 0.8% past-year
19
Rural vs urban use: 0.9% vs 1.5%
20
2015-2019 NSDUH shows stable 1% past-year adult use
21
COVID-19 saw 15% rise in online ketamine orders
22
China lifetime prevalence 0.8% urban youth
23
Ketamine positive toxicology in 0.2% suicides (US)
Interpretation
Epidemiological Data Interpretation
While these numbers are objectively small on a global scale, they tell a story of a substance carving out a significant and concerning niche, from nightclubs to the military, with young men in urban centers acting as its core demographic market.
03 · Category
Medical Applications20 stats
01
Ketamine is FDA-approved for anesthesia induction in humans
02
Low-dose ketamine infusions treat treatment-resistant depression
03
Esketamine nasal spray was approved by FDA in 2019 for depression
04
Ketamine provides rapid antidepressant effects within hours
05
Ketamine is used off-label for chronic pain management
06
In veterinary medicine, ketamine is commonly used for sedation
07
Ketamine reduces suicidal ideation in 70% of patients acutely
08
Single ketamine infusion shows 50-70% response rate in TRD
09
Ketamine is effective for procedural sedation in children
10
Ketamine infusions for CRPS show 70% pain reduction in trials
11
Ketamine has shown promise in treating PTSD symptoms
12
Ketamine is used in battlefield medicine for analgesia
13
Esketamine requires REMS program due to abuse potential
14
Ketamine provides hemodynamic stability during anesthesia
15
Ketamine approved for medical use in 1970 by FDA
16
Used extensively in Vietnam War for trauma anesthesia
17
Ketamine used for status asthmaticus refractory to standard therapy
18
In OCD, ketamine reduces symptoms by 50% in hours
19
Pediatric burn dressing changes use ketamine sedation
20
Ketamine monotherapy for bipolar depression remission 71%
Interpretation
Medical Applications Interpretation
From battlefield trauma to the war inside the mind, ketamine is a medical multitool whose fifty-year journey from veterinary sedative to rapid-fire antidepressant proves that sometimes the most powerful healing comes from the most unexpected places.
More related reading
04 · Category
Pharmacology22 stats
01
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic with a rapid onset of action
02
Ketamine hydrochloride is the primary pharmaceutical form used medically
03
The chemical formula of ketamine is C13H16ClNO
04
Ketamine acts primarily as an NMDA receptor antagonist
05
Ketamine has a bioavailability of 16-20% when administered intranasally
06
Intravenous ketamine has a half-life of approximately 2.5 hours
07
Ketamine is metabolized primarily in the liver via CYP3A4
08
Ketamine produces analgesia at sub-anesthetic doses
09
The S-enantiomer of ketamine is more potent than the R-enantiomer
10
Ketamine increases glutamate transmission indirectly via AMPA receptors
11
Ketamine binds to opioid receptors with low affinity
12
Plasma protein binding of ketamine is about 12%
13
Ketamine's pKa is 7.5
14
Intramuscular ketamine reaches peak plasma levels in 20-30 minutes
15
Ketamine is lipophilic and crosses the blood-brain barrier rapidly
16
Ketamine discovered in 1962 by Calvin Stevens at Parke-Davis
17
First human trials of ketamine conducted in 1964
18
Ketamine shows anti-inflammatory effects via BDNF increase
19
Nasal ketamine bioavailability 30-50% in depression trials
20
Ketamine enantiomers separated as esketamine (S+) and arketamine (R-)
21
Volume of distribution for ketamine is 3 L/kg
22
Clearance rate 19 mL/min/kg IV
Interpretation
Pharmacology Interpretation
Despite its dizzying array of chemical stats and pathways, ketamine, the 1960s party-crasher turned medical maverick, essentially tells your brain to take a hard reset by briefly blocking its main switchboard before sneakily turning up the volume on healing signals.
05 · Category
Side Effects23 stats
01
Ketamine can cause emergence delirium in 10-20% of patients
02
Hypertension occurs in 20-30% of ketamine users
03
Nystagmus is a common oculomotor side effect
04
Ketamine raises intracranial pressure in susceptible patients
05
Olney's lesions (vacuolization) seen in high-dose animal studies
06
Bladder cystitis reported in chronic recreational users
07
Dissociative hallucinations occur in 25% of anesthetic doses
08
Tachycardia is observed in 15-25% of administrations
09
Ketamine can precipitate laryngospasm at induction
10
Increased salivation requires anticholinergic premedication
11
Cognitive impairment persists days after recreational use
12
Hepatotoxicity rare but reported with chronic use
13
Respiratory depression minimal compared to other anesthetics
14
Dependence develops with frequent recreational dosing
15
Flashbacks reported in 5-10% of users post-exposure
16
Tolerance to dissociative effects develops faster than analgesia
17
Chronic use leads to ketamine-induced ulcerative cystitis in 25%
18
Psychotic symptoms mimic schizophrenia in abuse
19
5% risk of anaphylaxis in sensitive individuals
20
Long-term memory deficits in heavy users
21
Nausea/vomiting in 20% post-administration
22
Elevated liver enzymes in 10% chronic users
23
K-hole phenomenon: complete dissociation in high doses
Interpretation
Side Effects Interpretation
In the grand theater of ketamine, you might get starring roles like dissociation and hallucinations for your mind, but the supporting cast for your body—from a twitchy bladder to a racing heart—often demands a brutal and sometimes lasting encore.
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
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Ketamine Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ketamine-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Ketamine Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/ketamine-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Ketamine Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ketamine-statistics.
Sources & references
17 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level