An international study of drug consumption traces in wastewater from 25 European countries reveals a “sharp decline” in MDMA/ecstasy consumption and a “strong increase” in cocaine and ketamine detections.
The findings come from a study by the SCORE group and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), covering wastewater analysis at treatment plants in 115 European cities across 25 countries (23 EU member states plus Turkey and Norway), examining drug consumption patterns among residents.
MDMA residues in wastewater decreased between 2024 and 2025 in cities that reported data. Of 78 cities with data for both years, 48 (62%) reported a decrease, 12 (15%) were stable and 18 (23%) reported an increase.
The decline was most evident in cities in Germany, Austria and Slovenia, and is greater than that observed in 2020 when nightlife closures during the Covid-19 pandemic affected consumption. The highest MDMA residue levels in 2025 were recorded in cities in Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
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Ketamine detections increased by nearly 41% between 2024 and 2025. Of 66 cities with data for both years, 40 (61%) reported an increase, 14 (21%) were stable and 12 (18%) showed a decrease. The highest residues were detected in cities in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
Cocaine residues increased by nearly 22% between 2024 and 2025. Of 85 cities with data for both years, 48 (57%) reported an increase, 21 (25%) were stable and 16 (19%) showed a decrease, with detections continuing to be highest in Western and Southern Europe, particularly Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands.
Cannabis — Europe’s most consumed drug — shows divergent trends, with 33% of cities reporting an increase, 44% a decrease and 22% stable levels.
Amphetamine residues were highest in northern and central European cities, while three Portuguese cities — Lisbon, Porto and Almada — reported no detectable amphetamine loads in 2025. Methamphetamines, traditionally concentrated in Czech and Slovak cities, are now also present in cities in Germany, Spain, Cyprus, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Turkey.
The study analysed daily wastewater samples between March and May 2025, covering approximately 72 million people, testing for five stimulant drugs and cannabis.
