The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has reported that the area under opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan increased by approximately 325 percent in 2026 compared with the previous year, reaching 43,300 hectares. The increase comes despite the Taliban government’s 2022 ban on opium poppy cultivation and drug production.
According to the report, the area under opium poppy cultivation rose from approximately 10,200 hectares in 2025 to 43,300 hectares in 2026. This means the area planted with opium poppies more than quadrupled compared with the previous year.
The report states that opium poppy cultivation was identified in 16 Afghan provinces, five more than in the previous year. Badakhshan recorded the largest increase, and northeastern Afghanistan now accounts for the majority of the country’s opium poppy cultivation.
The expansion of cultivation has also been accompanied by a rise in opium production. The UN estimates that production increased from approximately 296 tonnes in 2025 to 1,466 tonnes in 2026, an increase of nearly 400 percent. The agency identified improved crop yields, alongside the expansion of cultivated land, as factors contributing to the increase.
Despite this rise, the area under opium poppy cultivation remains below the level recorded before the ban. According to Reuters, approximately 177,000 hectares of land in Afghanistan were under opium poppy cultivation in 2021.
The UN has cited economic difficulties faced by farmers, low returns from some legal crops, and a lack of alternative livelihood opportunities as factors that may encourage farmers to return to opium poppy cultivation. The agency has called for greater investment in alternative livelihoods, improved market access, and support for farmers.
Meanwhile, Taliban officials have reiterated their commitment to combating drugs and eliminating opium poppy cultivation. Taliban officials say they have eradicated approximately 22,000 hectares of opium poppy crops. However, the UN has stated that it has been unable to technically verify this figure.
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