How Much Is Cocaine? The Price Of Cocaine In Europe And The US (SLIDESHOW)

Cocaine is more expensive in Norway than in any other European country, according to a report released on Thursday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The report also notes that more cocaine is consumed in the United States than anywhere else in the world.

From The Associated Press:

For cocaine, the United States remained the biggest market, with consumption estimated at 157 tons in 2009 - equal to 36 percent of the global share. Europe, particularly Western and Central Europe, were second in terms of market share, with an estimated consumption of 123 tons.

The U.N. agency noted "massive declines in recent years" of overall world cocaine use. Still, it said consumption in Europe had doubled over the past decade - with the estimated value of the European cocaine market at $36 billion (euro25 billion) a year, approaching that of the United States at $37 billion (euro25.7 billion).

The Economist notes that cocaine's street price in Europe -- even after adjusting for impurity and inflation -- has decreased over the last 20 years.

Click through the slideshow below for the 10 countries where cocaine is most expensive. And be sure to check out The Economist's Daily Chart for more data and information.

1 of 10

Norway: $154 per gram

1 of 11

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

Egyptians Protest Israeli Strikes On Gaza

Around The World In 10 Photos

U.S. Drone Strikes In Afghanistan

Nawaz Sharif Wins Pakistan Premiership For 3rd Time

Rob Ford's Greatest Gaffes

Illegal Immigrant Crisis In Greece

comments(290)

Total comments: 290 | Post a Comment

1 of 11

Source: 2011 World Drug Report

Comments

[Puck342]

12:28 PM on 07/04/2011

This article is laughable in its inaccuracies (ask anyone who uses cocaine in the U.S., it does NOT, on average, cost $120 a gram. Try half that, even cheaper in some parts of the country), and pathetic in its assumptions.

Can't help but note that the one part of this article that seems to be indicating less drug use is the most vauge... "massive declines in recent years" why not give us a %? or a ratio? or an ANYTHING? Oh, right, you'd rather just type up B.S. and send it on its way...

[dbrett480]

08:20 PM on 07/10/2011

In metro areas cocaine ranges in price quite significantly. I work in law enforcement, and I have usually seen a dime bag ($10) to contain less than .1 grams of cocaine. This works out to a little over $100 a gram.

[dbrett480]

07:29 PM on 06/30/2011

I wonder how much of the US share is Charlie Sheen's?

[NonPrawf]

02:25 PM on 06/29/2011

Wow. I guess I will start complaining about the prices here.

[Excalibre]

02:11 PM on 06/29/2011

It's time for the president to help hard-working Americans and open up the Strategic Cocaine Reserve.

[MIKEinNYC]

10:50 AM on 06/29/2011

So now if there's an influx of people into Luxembourg you'll know why.

This should be a boon for Icelandic Airlines.

[Jack Daniels Esq]

09:39 AM on 06/29/2011

Lace coke with arsenic - that will fix most of the problem - send the rest to a court in SG

[PeterOregon]

12:25 AM on 06/29/2011

This place is just awful since the AOL takeover. I mean, you could have picked any commodity. Guess what? Norway is the most expensive country in Europe! Oslo is the most expensive city to live in or visit in Europe, so duh.

Also, maybe some cop or DA trying to inflate the value of drugs seized gave this intrepid reporter the $120/gram cost in the US. That is flatly preposterous. That price might be bottom of the market street sales in an expensive part of the country, but it in no way reflects the actual cost.

[santiago sherwood]

10:26 PM on 06/28/2011

how did you contrive these numbers, sometimes HP should vet its sources

[Rubberjesus]

04:00 PM on 06/28/2011

Cocaine does not cost $120 in the US

[skupp69]

12:49 PM on 06/29/2011

Not unless it is uncut. Most crap can be purchased at half of that cost in any U.S. city. One thing I don't understand is why would anyone want to explode their heart and cause it to be enlarged from an old school drug?

[joeyfoto]

10:07 AM on 07/07/2011

If you pay $60 a gram for 40% cocaine, then yes, it does.

If the cocaine is 15 -20% as most of the street cocaine is, you pay twice that much.

It's just a matter of math.

[JayMonaco]

11:07 AM on 07/07/2011

You don't calculate the price of a commodity based on its purity. You calculate it based on price at market.

[Quinn M]

01:54 PM on 06/28/2011

See you guys later, I'm on my way to Luxembourg for some uh...cultural enrichment.

[Trevor Lahey]

01:44 PM on 06/28/2011

Now that's what I call an interesting article.

[abuckley23]

01:06 PM on 06/28/2011

What an interesting little factoid. That's something that you just don't find in the usual run-of-the-mill travel guide. I wonder why they wouldn't include it?

[Holypat777]

12:37 PM on 06/28/2011

(long sniff!) What?

[JayMonaco]

12:24 PM on 06/28/2011

Yeah, okay. Once I saw that the US is $120 per gram, I realized that none of these other numbers are going to be accurate. Nobody pays $120 for a gram of yay. Nobody.

[joeyfoto]

10:09 AM on 07/07/2011

"Nobody pays $120 for a gram of yay. Nobody."

As I posted above, that's what people, who can't do math, think.

[OutAtFirst]

11:22 AM on 06/28/2011

Never but it by the gram. Costco has it in a five-gallon bucket.

[Tanrioldu]

12:47 PM on 06/28/2011

lulz