Methamphetamine Deaths, Hospitalisations Hit Record Levels in Australia

Methamphetamine-related deaths and hospitalisations are at record levels in Australia, according to new research from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at the University of New South Wales.

In 2024, there were 753 overdose deaths involving amphetamine-type stimulants, mainly methamphetamine. That is a rate of 2.9 deaths per 100,000 people, which NDARC said was “substantially higher than in previous years.”

There were also nearly 14,000 hospital stays due to methamphetamine use in 2023-24, accounting for 24 percent of all drug-related hospital stays and representing a record rate of 53 per 100,000 people.

Wastewater testing found about 15.8 tonnes of the drug was used in 2024-25, a record in every state and territory. Authorities also seized more than 16 tonnes of methamphetamine in 2024, exceeding the amount seized in previous years.

“While the extent of methamphetamine use can be difficult to calculate, available evidence suggests Australia still has one of the highest recorded rates in the world,” said associate professor Amy Peacock, who leads NDARC’s Drug Trends Program.

Peacock said the rising harms were driven by both increased global supply and strong local demand.

In 2024, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission ranked Australia fourth in the world for stimulant use.

The supply problem extends well beyond Australia’s borders. In 2024, Canadian border officials reported more than 60 seizures of methamphetamine shipments destined for Australia over a six-month period, including 397 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 1,278 litres of liquid methamphetamine.

The seizures illustrate the international supply networks feeding Australia’s domestic market.

Methamphetamine-Related Harm Shifts Towards Older Age Groups

People aged 15 to 24 made up one in eight stimulant overdose deaths in 2005, but by 2024, they made up just 5 percent. Peacock said death rates had risen among people aged 25 to 54.

“As the population of people who use methamphetamine ages, cardiovascular and other chronic health conditions may become increasingly important considerations in prevention, treatment and clinical care,” she said.

NDARC’s yearly Drug Trends surveys, also show shifts in the use of other drugs. The Illicit Drug Reporting System interviewed 902 people who regularly inject drugs in every capital city between May and July.

About half (51 percent) had used heroin in the past six months, similar to 2025. But they used it far more often as the median number of days of use rose from 120 to 180.

A second survey tracks people who regularly use ecstasy and other stimulants. In this group, recent cocaine use rose to 84 percent, up from 79 percent in 2025. Use of crack or rock cocaine rose from 9 percent to 14 percent.

Among people who inject drugs, 79 percent said cocaine was easy or very easy to get, up from 62 percent in 2025.

However, the NDARC noted that both surveys are not representative of all people who use drugs.

Wider data shows the same trend. In 2022-23, 4.5 percent of Australians aged 14 and over had used cocaine in the past year, up from 1 percent in 2004. Cocaine deaths rose fivefold between 2004 and 2023.

Peacock called for a coordinated response covering prevention, harm reduction, treatment and monitoring.

“Priorities include improving understanding of methamphetamine use and treatment need, improving access to timely and effective care, and ensuring our responses reflect the increasingly complex needs of people who use methamphetamine,” she said.