Persons convicted for drug-related crimes over the period 2013 – 2024 by classification under the Penal Code, by sex and by place of commitment of crime

Prevalence of psychoactive substance use Prevalence of medication use Prevalence of drug use Drug Prevention

Treatment Supply Treatment Demand Health consequences Harm reduction

Drug-related crimes Drug market Drug use and prison Monitoring of publications Attitudes to legal framework changes

Database (1989 – 2024).xlsx

Persons convicted for drug-related crimes over the period 2013 – 2023 by classification under the Penal Code

	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Persons convicted (total)	34113	31849	27787	28301	25800	23973	23389	21889	24121	24047	23037	21821
Persons convicted for drug-related crimes (total)	1521	1427	1603	1955	2028	1989	2376	2347	2788	2459	2908	2846
proportion (%) to the persons convicted (total)	4.46	4.48	5.77	6.91	7.86	8.30	10.16	10.72	11.56	10.23	12.62	13.04
Classification under the Penal Code
Art. 242, para. 2-3 (contraband of drugs)	30	39	33	49	37	26	33	20	35	46	39	34
Art. 242, para. 2  (narcotic substances)	25	36	22	48	34	26	33	18	33	45	39	34
Art. 242, para. 3 (preqursors or equipment)	5	3	11	1	3	0	0	2	2	1	0	0
Art. 354a-354c (drug-related crimes)	1491	1388	1570	1906	1991	1963	2343	2327	2753	2413	2869	2812
Art. 354a, para. 1, (risk narcotic substances)	71	32	36	11	5	64	7	1	1	0	13	23
Art. 354a, para. 1, (high-risk narcotic substances)	325	305	393	437	481	429	608	587	663	609	599	592
Art. 354a, para. 1, (preqursors or equipment)	5	17	10	20	28	21	18	20	32	36	25	26
Art. 354a, para. 2, (1) (order of organised criminal group)	11	7	1	4	6	11	6	7	3	5	18	10
Art. 354а, para. 2, (2) (by a doctor or pharmacist)	1		1								1	1
Art. 354а, para. 2, (3) (by an educator, teacher)			1			1	3	1	1			2
Art. 354a, para. 2, (4) (dangerous relapse)	52	34	66	48	78	49	68	72	98	93	95	87
Art. 354a, para. 2 (particularly large activities)	72	47	51	37	45	40	52	57	70	43	59	83
Art. 354a, para. 3, (1) (high-risk narcotic substances)	528	539	603	833	806	812	916	921	1095	918	1153	1065
Art. 354a, para. 3, (2) (risk narcotic substances)	8	8	6	5	2	10	9	5	6	4	9	8
Art. 354а, para. 4 (violation of the rules)		1	1
Art. 354a, para. 5 (minor cases)	241	230	251	373	366	416	522	509	623	548	750	805
Art. 354b, para. 1 (inclining or assisting)										1	2
Art. 354b, para. 2, (1) (minor, juvenile persons)	2	6	1
Art. 354b, para. 2, (2) (more than two children)	1											1
Art. 354b, para. 2, (3) (by doctor, teacher)		1
Art. 354b, para. 2, (4) (in public place)									1
Art. 354b, para. 5 (prescription with violation of the rules)			1				1	1	3		1
Art. 354c			1
Art. 354c, para. 1 (planting or growing)	158	137	137	132	163	103	125	138	153	152	133	89
Art. 354c, para. 2 (organising, leading or financing an organised criminal group)	2					2					1
Art. 354c, para. 3 (participation in an organised criminal group)	6	3	3		3	1					4	12
Art. 354c, para. 5 (minor cases)	8	9	7	6	8	4	8	8	4	4	6	8
Art. 354а-354c		12

Persons convicted (males) for drug-related crimes over the period 2013 – 2024 by classification under the Penal Code

	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Persons convicted (total)	31374	29250	25446	25778	23662	21951	21496	19884	22107	21973	21167	19941
Persons convicted for drug-related crimes (total)	1409	1335	1451	1816	1884	1830	2221	2162	2562	2256	2667	2604
proportion (%) to the persons convicted (total)	4.49	4.56	5.70	7.04	7.96	8.34	10.33	10.87	11.59	10.27	12.60	13.06
Classification under the Penal Code
Art. 242, para. 2-3 (contraband of drugs)	26	36	29	42	35	24	32	16	31	41	35	32
Art. 242, para. 2  (narcotic substances)	23	33	18	41	32	24	32	14	29	41	35	32
Art. 242, para. 3 (preqursors or equipment)	3	3	11	1	3			2	2
Art. 354a-354c (drug-related crimes)	1383	1299	1422	1774	1849	1806	2189	2146	2531	2215	2632	2572
Art. 354a, para. 1, (risk narcotic substances)	67	30	29	11	4	58	7	1	1		12	19
Art. 354a, para. 1, (high-risk narcotic substances)	291	285	343	405	438	384	549	520	580	542	536	530
Art. 354a, para. 1, (preqursors or equipment)	5	15	8	18	27	20	18	20	27	34	21	24
Art. 354a, para. 2, (1) (order of organised criminal group)	10	5	1	4	6	10	5	6	3	5	14	9
Art. 354а, para. 2, (2) (by a doctor or pharmacist)	1		1								1	1
Art. 354а, para. 2, (3) (by an educator, teacher)			1			1	3	1	1			2
Art. 354a, para. 2, (4) (dangerous relapse)	51	33	62	46	76	46	68	72	94	93	91	84
Art. 354a, para. 2 (particularly large activities)	69	46	45	34	42	38	50	51	64	39	54	76
Art. 354a, para. 3, (1) (high-risk narcotic substances)	492	505	554	773	749	748	861	850	1016	836	1065	973
Art. 354a, para. 3, (2) (risk narcotic substances)	7	6	6	5	2	10	8	5	6	3	8	7
Art. 354а, para. 4 (violation of the rules)		1	1
Art. 354a, para. 5 (minor cases)	234	224	244	363	348	398	498	483	592	519	696	747
Art. 354b, para. 2, (1) (minor, juvenile persons)	2	6	1								2
Art. 354b, para. 2, (2) (more than two children)	1
Art. 354b, para. 2, (3) (by doctor, teacher)		1										1
Art. 354b, para. 2, (4) (in public place)									1
Art. 354b, para. 5 (prescription with violation of the rules)							1		2		1
Art. 354c			1
Art. 354c, para. 1 (planting or growing)	139	119	115	109	146	86	113	129	141	140	120	81
Art. 354c, para. 2 (organising, leading or financing an organised criminal group)	2					2					1
Art. 354c, para. 3 (participation in an organised criminal group)	5	3	3		3	1					4	12
Art. 354c, para. 5 (minor cases)	7	8	7	6	8	4	8	8	3	4	6	8
Art. 354а-354c		12

Persons convicted (females) for drug-related crimes over the period 2013 – 2024 by classification under the Penal Code

	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Persons convicted (total)	2739	2599	2341	2523	2138	2022	1893	2005	2014	2074	1870	1880
Persons convicted for drug-related crimes (total)	112	92	152	139	144	159	155	185	226	203	241	242
proportion (%) to the persons convicted (total)	4.09	3.54	6.49	5.51	6.74	7.86	8.19	9.23	11.22	9.79	12.89	12.87
Classification under the Penal Code
Art. 242, para. 2-3 (contraband of drugs)	4	3	4	7	2	2	1	4	4	5	4	2
Art. 242, para. 2  (narcotic substances)	2	3	4	7	2	2	1	4	4	4	4	2
Art. 242, para. 3 (preqursors or equipment)	2									1
Art. 354a-354c (drug-related crimes)	108	89	148	132	142	157	154	181	222	198	237	240
Art. 354a, para. 1, (risk narcotic substances)	4	2	7		1	6					1	4
Art. 354a, para. 1, (high-risk narcotic substances)	34	20	50	32	43	45	59	67	83	67	63	62
Art. 354a, para. 1, (preqursors or equipment)		2	2	2	1	1			5	2	4	2
Art. 354a, para. 2, (1) (order of organised criminal group)	1	2				1	1	1			4	1
Art. 354a, para. 2, (4) (dangerous relapse)	1	1	4	2	2	3			4		4	3
Art. 354a, para. 2 (particularly large activities)	3	1	6	3	3	2	2	6	6	4	5	7
Art. 354a, para. 3, (1) (high-risk narcotic substances)	36	34	49	60	57	64	55	71	79	82	88	92
Art. 354a, para. 3, (2) (risk narcotic substances)	1	2					1			1	1	1
Art. 354a, para. 5 (minor cases)	7	6	7	10	18	18	24	26	31	29	54	58
Art. 354b, para. 5 (prescription with violation of the rules)			1					1	1	1
Art. 354c, para. 1 (planting or growing)	19	18	22	23	17	17	12	9	12	12	13	8
Art. 354c, para. 3 (participation in an organised criminal group)	1
Art. 354c, para. 5 (minor cases)	1	1							1			2

Persons convicted for drug-related crimes over the period 2013 – 2024 by place of commitment of crime

Statistical regions and districts	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total	1491	1388	1570	1906	1991	1963	2343	2327	2753	2413	2869	2812
Northwest region	147	146	169	221	202	208	196	264	323	296	355	270
Vidin	4	10	14	11	23	16	24	24	19	16	26	11
Vratsa	46	33	38	31	26	38	38	39	75	64	75	81
Lovech	17	41	21	41	32	32	34	56	55	46	53	32
Montana	29	17	31	43	25	25	23	45	42	47	35	32
Pleven	51	45	65	95	96	97	77	100	132	123	166	114
North central region	209	191	154	174	159	184	262	222	281	207	338	310
Veliko Tarnovo	79	81	60	76	71	75	78	64	80	58	137	119
Gabrovo	49	33	25	37	31	40	87	66	59	32	56	44
Razgrad	21	22	7	3	8	14	22	27	30	29	34	29
Ruse	30	29	47	24	33	34	56	45	90	67	71	85
Silistra	30	26	15	34	16	21	19	20	22	21	40	33
Northeast region	149	142	172	204	206	241	303	283	334	333	476	478
Varna	85	81	116	129	119	138	182	156	168	166	269	260
Dobrich	31	24	29	49	55	55	69	57	75	89	118	133
Targovishte	13	16	8	8	8	26	27	29	29	18	36	31
Shumen	20	21	19	18	24	22	25	41	62	60	53	54
Southeast region	261	244	325	391	431	397	471	447	578	507	576	589
Burgas	110	100	137	143	165	163	198	137	196	182	185	172
Sliven	61	51	72	86	107	103	112	95	128	87	76	91
Stara Zagora	66	81	79	123	111	83	121	161	177	171	243	262
Yambol	24	12	37	39	48	48	40	54	77	67	72	64
Southwest region	478	375	435	509	462	442	518	577	692	572	605	575
Blagoevgrad	104	104	125	137	108	115	132	115	124	98	99	94
Kyustendil	51	35	37	45	34	53	47	58	83	79	80	58
Pernik	34	18	17	27	25	31	34	28	51	26	32	54
Sofia	35	27	25	22	19	36	35	45	38	41	54	62
Sofia capital	254	191	231	278	276	207	270	331	396	328	340	307
South central region	247	288	314	407	531	491	592	534	545	497	519	590
Kardzhali	18	21	23	17	39	34	41	41	48	39	28	29
Pazardzhik	42	64	51	67	76	65	101	69	69	76	91	95
Plovdiv	113	136	183	223	294	281	336	317	313	288	310	350
Smolyan	16	15	17	37	37	17	27	27	17	14	18	18
Haskovo	58	52	40	63	85	94	87	80	98	80	72	98
Crimes committed abroad		2	1				1			1