Myanmar has recorded a 17% increase in the area cultivated with opium, becoming the world's main supplier, amid internal instability and rising prices.

In 2025, Myanmar reached the highest level of opium poppy cultivation in the last decade, with an area of 53,100 hectares, an increase of 17% compared to the previous year, according to the UNODC report. This expansion was fueled by the civil war and rising opium prices, which exceeded 329 dollars per kilogram. Myanmar thus becomes the world's main supplier of opium, especially after the decline in production from Afghanistan.

Additionally, the country is the largest producer of methamphetamine, and heroin from Myanmar is starting to reach European markets, replacing supplies from Afghanistan. Delphine Schantz, UNODC representative, emphasized that without viable alternative livelihoods, farmers will continue to turn to poppy cultivation, deepening the cycle of poverty and dependence on illicit activities.