With an average turnover estimated at 3.1 billion euros, cocaine trafficking generated more money on the illicit drug market in metropolitan France in 2023 than cannabis, which brought in 2.7 billion.
Turnover has tripled for the global illicit substances market
This research, conducted by two professors from the University of Lille, Christian Ben Lakhdar and Sophie Massin, estimates the total revenue of the illicit drug market in France (excluding overseas territories) at €6.8 billion in 2023, nearly triple the figure recorded in 2010 (€2.3 billion). This average estimate of €6.8 billion, like all the other figures in the research, falls between a low estimate of €3.8 billion and a high estimate of €9.7 billion.
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“ Cannabis and cocaine alone generate approximately 901,300 of the total revenue from illicit drugs.“
The main finding of this research, reported by the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT) and funded by the Interministerial Mission for the Fight against Drugs and Addictive Behaviors (Mildeca), is the sharp increase in the cocaine market's revenue. Between 2010 and 2023, it rose, on average, from €902 million to €3.1 billion, surpassing the cannabis market (from €1.1 billion to €2.7 billion). Cannabis and cocaine alone generate approximately 901,300,000 of the total revenue from illicit drugs in 2023.", explain in this note published by the OFDT Christian Ben Lakhdar and Sophie Massin, both professors of economics at the University of Lille.
"A shift from the cannabis market to a market for cocaine and psychostimulants": Christian Ben Lakhdar and Sophie Massin, 3 minutes on the rise of stimulants - Credit OFDT, December 5, 2025
“ The number of people who have tried cocaine has quadrupled.“
Between 2010 and 2023, the quantities of cocaine consumed tripled, according to the average estimate, from 15 tonnes to 47.1 tonnes, far behind cannabis, the leading market in volume, with consumption increasing from 224.5 tonnes to 397.4 tonnes (excluding donations and home cultivation).
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The evolution of the "price-purity ratio" of cocaine "fto make this substance an increasingly cheap product and therefore accessible to the greatest number"The authors warn."These estimates support the sharp increase in psychostimulant use observed in recent years: in twenty years, the number of people who have tried cocaine has quadrupled.“,” said Dr. Nicolas Prisse, president of Mildeca, as quoted in the press release. The dramatic growth of the cocaine market, which is putting a strain on security forces, the justice system, healthcare professionals, and all our territories, underscores the need to strengthen public action, both on the supply and demand sides." Dr. Prisse stated.
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Growth also for other psychostimulants
Another source of concern highlighted by this study is the strong growth of the market for other psychostimulants, amphetamines, ecstasy-MDMA. »The amount of ecstasy-MDMA consumed is estimated at 65.6 million tablets in 2023. » (11.3 million in 2010) » and the turnover of this market, "much lower than that of cocaine", records "the strongest increase of all drugs in value, with 637% of growth between 2010 and 2023"“.
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