KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The price of opium in Afghanistan has surged to an unprecedented $750 per kilogram in 2024, marking a tenfold increase from $75/kg in 2022, according to a new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The report indicates that the sharp rise follows the drug ban imposed by the Taliban, which has drastically reduced opium production but allowed existing stockpiles to fuel a lucrative underground trade.
The UNODC report highlights a significant drop in opium and heroin trafficking, with seizures down by approximately 50 percent in weight since 2021 when the regime overtook power. However, despite lower trade volumes, the soaring price per kilogram ensures that illicit profits remain substantial.
High-level traders and organized crime networks have emerged as the primary beneficiaries, while farmers who previously relied on poppy cultivation for survival face growing economic hardship.
“The surge in opium prices and the substantial stockpiles mean that drug trafficking in Afghanistan remains a highly profitable illicit trade,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly. “The profits are being channeled to transnational organized crime groups, destabilizing Afghanistan, the region, and beyond.”
Waly has called for an urgent coordinated counternarcotics strategy to dismantle trafficking networks while providing sustainable economic alternatives for Afghan farmers.
Before the decline in cultivation, Afghanistan’s opium stockpiles were estimated to be worth between $4.6 billion and $5.9 billion—equivalent to roughly 23-29 percent of the country’s GDP in 2023. This informal financial cushion may have helped mitigate some of the economic shocks Afghanistan has faced since the Taliban’s return to power.
However, most of these stockpiles—around 60 percent—are believed to be in the hands of major traders and exporters, leaving small-scale farmers struggling. Only about 30 percent of farmers held modest reserves in 2022, meaning many are now at risk of severe financial instability.
The UNODC warns that without viable economic alternatives, many may return to poppy cultivation, especially given the current high prices.
Another growing concern is the potential shift toward even more dangerous synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl or other synthetic opioids, as the continued shortage of Afghan opium disrupts traditional supply chains.
With Afghanistan still facing an economic crisis, experts warn that without immediate investment in sustainable livelihoods, the current situation could push more people into illicit activities—either through poppy cultivation or involvement in alternative drug trades.
