According to the latest Myanmar Opium Survey 2024 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, there has been a slight decrease in opium production in Myanmar, the world's largest source of the illicit drug. The report indicates a 4% reduction in the area cultivated with opium, totaling 45,200 hectares, and an 8% decrease in production to 995 metric tons.
Myanmar surpassed Afghanistan as the top opium producer last year, following a significant decline in cultivation in Afghanistan due to a ban imposed by the Taliban. The recent growth in opium cultivation in Myanmar was attributed to the political crisis that unfolded after the military coup in February 2021.
