Myanmar remains the world’s largest producer of opium despite a slight decline in cultivation in 2024, states the latest report from the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The Myanmar Opium Survey 2024 was released in Bangkok on Dec. 12. It revealed that opium cultivation and production in Myanmar exceeded 45,000 hectares this year, with nearly 90 percent of the cultivation concentrated in Shan State.
The report added that increased opium cultivation took place in eastern Shan State, Chin State, and Karenni State, even as nationwide cultivation saw a slight decline compared to 2023.
The UNODC estimates the gross value of the country’s “opiate economy” at $600 million to $1.5 billion USD, representing one to 2.4 percent of Myanmar’s 2023 Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Myanmar solidified its position as the top global opium producer following Afghanistan’s 2022 ban on narcotics under the Taliban, which seized power after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.
UNODC figures for 2024 show that Myanmar’s opium cultivation area is over 3.5 times larger than Afghanistan’s, with production volumes more than double those of the former global leader.
Average opium yield in Myanmar, 2002-2024. ©UNODC
Opium poppy cultivation density in Myanmar in 2024. ©UNODC
