Illicit drug trade worth 2.7bn euros a year in France

The statistics are the first ever produced in France on the contribution of drug trafficking to the economy
AFP (France)
Wednesday, May 30, 2018

The trade in illegal drugs contributes an estimated 0.1 percent of France's GDP, earning 2.7 billion euros, according to the national statistical institute, Insee. The figures are based on the findings of a government agency poll and could be an underestimate, according to Insee statisticians, since some respondents may have distrusted the pollsters. An estimated 3.1 billion euros-worth of drugs are consumed in France each year, according to the findings, but 400 million euros represent imports and so must be subtracted and credited to the GDP of the exporting countries, leaving a balance of 2.7 billion euros. France's trade in cannabis is worth a billion euros and that in cocaine 800 million euros, according to the estimates.