Cannabis Use by Country 2025

Cannabis (also known as marijuana, weed, or pot) is a substance that’s seen a dramatic shift in laws and attitudes in recent decades in many parts of the world. As a result of this and other cultural factors, there can be wide disparities in cannabis use from one nation to another.

Top 10 Countries that Use the Most Cannabis

The recency of available cannabis use data varies widely by country, ranging from 1995 to 2023. With a caveat that the data available for this country is quite dated, Papua New Guinea may surprise many as the number one country in terms of cannabis use. Approximately 29.5% of residents of this Pacific nation used cannabis in the year 1995. They’re followed closely by Canada, with 27% as of 2023, and the island nation of Palau, with 24.2% as of 2007.

The United States comes in fourth place, with more than one in five Americans (21.9%) using pot in the year 2020. That places the United States and Canada above the usage rates of many other Western nations, such as the United Kingdom, which has just 7.6% reported use for the year 2023, France with 10.6% as of 2021, and Germany with 8.8% as of 2021.

Asian nations have among the lowest cannabis use rates, with China, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, South Korea, and Taiwan all reporting less than half a percent of residents using the drug annually. Singapore reports a rate of zero, likely a reflection of the country’s drug laws, which are among the world’s strictest. The same goes for many Middle Eastern nations like Saudi Arabia (0.3%), Iran (0.58%), and Qatar (0.1%.) Countries in Africa have relatively high cannabis usage, with three countries - Ghana (21.5% as of 1998), Nigeria (19.4% as of 2019), and Zambia (14.8 as of 2019) - in the global top ten.

To be sure, it’s always wise to view data on cannabis or other drug use with a skeptical eye. Information can vary in its recency, and drug users may be reluctant to reveal an illegal or discouraged habit to a survey, even given anonymously. Still, cannabis seems to be found almost all around the globe - though how frequently it’s used can vary quite a bit.