The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced in a new report that Myanmar remains the world’s largest source of illicit opium production and that poppy cultivation in the country has reached its highest level in a decade.
According to the “Myanmar Opium Survey 2025” report, the area under poppy cultivation in Myanmar has increased by 17 percent compared to last year to 53,100 hectares, the highest level since 2015.
Estimated opium production has also increased by 1 percent to about 1,010 tons.
This increase has occurred while opium production in Afghanistan, previously the largest producer, has declined sharply, reaching about 296 tons in 2025.
The ban on poppy cultivation by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan since 2022 has allowed Myanmar to maintain its first place.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has warned that ongoing armed conflicts, economic collapse and a more than doubling in opium prices (since 2019) are driving farmers to grow opium.
The organization emphasized that this trend may intensify if global demand for heroin increases, especially to fill the gap caused by reduced Afghan production.
The report also points to early signs of Myanmar heroin entering European markets, which was previously supplied from Afghanistan.
In addition to opium, Myanmar also remains the world’s largest producer of methamphetamine.
UN experts have called for the creation of sustainable alternative livelihood opportunities for farmers to break the cycle of poverty and dependence on illegal cultivation
