YANGON—Opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar has reached its highest level in a decade, according to a report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The UNODC found a 17 percent increase in the crop area compared to the previous year, expanding from 45,200 hectares to 53,100 hectares.
Myanmar has now become the world's primary source of illicit opium, following a dramatic shift in global supply. Afghanistan, which previously held the distinction, saw its poppy cultivation drop by approximately 95 percent after a Taliban ban in 2023.
The surge in Myanmar's poppy farming is driven by rising opium prices. The cost of one kilogram of fresh opium in Myanmar has more than doubled since 2019, increasing from $145 to $329.
Despite the expansion in cultivated land, the amount of opium produced per hectare has not kept pace. The UNODC attributed this to Myanmar's growing instability, noting that intensifying conflict and insecurity make it harder for farmers to maintain crops and achieve high yields.
"The major expansion in cultivation shows the opium economy has re-established itself over recent years, indicating potential for further growth," said Delphine Schantz, the UNODC's representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The UNODC report identified new evidence of heroin shipments originating from Myanmar entering international markets historically supplied by narcotics from Afghanistan. The European Union's Drugs Agency reported seizures of approximately 60 kilograms of heroin in 2024 and early 2025, believed to have been manufactured in or around Myanmar and confiscated from commercial airline passengers traveling from Thailand to the EU.
For the first time, significant poppy cultivation was documented in the Sagaing region, the epicenter of Myanmar's conflict since the 2021 military takeover. The UN found 552 hectares under poppy cultivation there, indicating a shift toward the country's insecure western border areas.
Schantz said farmers are increasingly turning to poppy cultivation due to intensifying conflict, the need for survival, and rising opium prices. She added that developments within Myanmar will influence drug markets both regionally and globally.
