Australia’s Record Methamphetamine Consumption Revealed by Wastewater Report

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) released its 2024-25 wastewater analysis on 29 April 2026, covering 64 treatment plants sampled between August 2024 and August 2025. The data show crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) reached 15,971 tonnes – the highest since the program began in 2016 and a 23 % rise from 8,405 tonnes the previous year. The report ranks Australia as the world’s second-largest meth consumer, behind the United States, according to the Sewage Core Group Europe (Score), which monitors 34 nations.

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ACIC’s surveillance, started in 2016, tests influent from municipal treatment facilities to infer community drug use. The 2024-25 cycle added regional catchments, allowing comparison of urban and rural consumption.

The Guardian

• Methamphetamine: 15,971 tonnes (23 % YoY increase).

The Guardian

• Cocaine: 7,985 tonnes (20 % increase); heroin and MDMA each rose 23 %.

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• Combined market value: grew from $11.5 bn (2023-24) to $14.3 bn (2024-25); meth accounted for 77 % of spend.

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• Global ranking: Australia is fifth in per-1,000-person daily doses, behind the US, Chile, Belgium and the Netherlands. Regional areas show higher meth, cannabis and oxycodone use; urban centres have higher cocaine, heroin and ketamine use, with Sydney leading ketamine consumption.

The Guardian

ACIC links the rise to increased hospital admissions, family disruption and community strain. The report flags emerging synthetic opioids. The data highlight Australia’s appeal to transnational crime groups that profit from large-scale production and trafficking.

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ACIC chief executive Heather Cook called the findings a “stark reminder” of persistent, elevated demand for major drugs and stressed the “critical need for sustained, coordinated national responses.” She noted organized crime’s “persistence” and “highly innovative” tactics, urging “constant vigilance, evolving tools and strong collaboration across all jurisdictions” to curb the market.

The Guardian

• “persistent, elevated demand for major drugs across jurisdictions” — Heather Cook, ACIC chief executive

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• “These aren’t abstract figures – they represent real harm and real consequences playing out in hospitals, homes and communities across the country.” — Heather Cook, ACIC chief executive

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• “The scale of the markets, reflected in the wastewater data, shows just how determined these groups are to maintain supply.” — Heather Cook, ACIC chief executive

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• “Our intelligence continues to show that serious and organised crime groups are not only persistent but highly innovative,” — Heather Cook, ACIC chief executive

The Guardian

ACIC will continue nationwide wastewater sampling through 2026, focusing on synthetic opioids and refined regional analysis. The agency urges federal and state law-enforcement bodies to align resources and share intelligence, aiming to turn surveillance data into targeted prevention and interdiction strategies.

The Guardian