This is an English translation. The original Dutch article is authoritative.
The latest figures from the Nationale Drug Monitor (NDM, 2026 edition) provide a comprehensive and factual overview of cannabis consumption in the Netherlands. In 2024, 6.9% of adults (18+) consumed cannabis in the past year. This equates to approximately 980,000 adults. The NDM concludes that cannabis consumption in 2024 did not change compared to 2023 and that last-year consumption has remained broadly stable since 2015. The NDM also distinguishes between different levels of cannabis consumption.
In 2024, 23.4% of adults had consumed cannabis at some point in their lives. A smaller group, 4.2%, consumed cannabis in the past month. The group that consumes cannabis daily or almost daily is the smallest: 1.1% of the adult population. These figures show that the proportion of adults who have ever consumed cannabis is much larger than the proportion that consumes recently or very frequently.
Substance use in perspective: alcohol and tobacco are higher To properly interpret cannabis consumption, it is relevant to place it within the context of total substance use. In 2024, 76.8% of adults had consumed alcohol at some point. Within that group, 5.5% drank excessively and 7.2% were heavy drinkers. Tobacco use is also higher than cannabis consumption: 18.2% of adults smoke occasionally and 12.3% smoke daily. These figures show that cannabis consumption, although relevant in scale and social attention, is lower than the consumption of alcohol and tobacco in the context of substance use in the Netherlands.
The trend figures from the NDM show that last-year cannabis consumption fluctuated between 2015 and 2024 but did not experience structural growth. In 2015, the last-year percentage was 6.7%. In the following years, this varied between 6.6% and 8.0%. In 2023, the last-year percentage was 7.6% and in 2024 it was 6.9%. The NDM summarises this as a picture in which cannabis consumption in 2024 did not significantly change compared to 2023 and has remained roughly equal in the long term. This means there is no indication at a national level of structural growth in cannabis consumption among adults.
Differences by gender and age: consumption higher among men and young adults The NDM shows that cannabis consumption is not evenly distributed across the adult population. Men consume cannabis more often than women. In 2024, 9.7% of men consumed cannabis in the past year, compared to 4.1% of women. This difference is also visible in last-month consumption and daily or almost daily consumption, where men also report higher percentages than women. These figures thus show that gender is a clear factor in consumption patterns.
Cannabis consumption is most common among young adults. In 2024, 13.6% of 18–19-year-olds reported cannabis consumption in the past year. For 20–24-year-olds, this was 18.3% and for 25–29-year-olds, 19.3%. In older age groups, the percentages are lower: 30–39 years 11.1%, 40–49 years 5.6%, 50–64 years 2.9%, and 65 years and older 0.5%. This shows that cannabis consumption occurs primarily in the younger adult age groups and subsequently decreases with age.
Although total cannabis consumption remains stable, shifts are visible within the young adult population. The NDM notes that cannabis consumption among 20–24-year-olds fell from 24.9% in 2023 to 18.3% in 2024. In the longer term, it appears that 18–19-year-olds consumed cannabis less frequently in 2024 than in 2015, while 25–29-year-olds actually consumed more frequently than in 2015. This pattern fits a shift where consumption among the youngest adults is decreasing, while consumption is relatively more prevalent among slightly older young adults.
Characteristics and consequences of cannabis consumption The living environment is related to the level of cannabis consumption. In (very) highly urbanised areas, 8.8% of adults consumed cannabis in the past year in 2024. In moderately urbanised areas, this was 4.6%, and in slightly or non-urbanised areas, 4.3%. Regional differences also emerge: in the GGD-region Amsterdam, 15.6% of adults reported cannabis consumption in the past year, higher than in other regions. This shows that cannabis consumption is geographically unevenly distributed and is higher on average in urban environments.
The NDM looks not only at the number of consumers but also at the amount of cannabis consumed on a day when someone uses. Among adults who consumed cannabis in the past year, the average was 1.4 joints per use-day. The NDM emphasises that most consumers do not smoke more than one joint on a use-day. This means that for many people, consumption on a use-day remains limited to small quantities.
Within the group that consumed cannabis in the past month, 24.9% consumed cannabis daily or almost daily. In the NDM, this is defined as 20 days or more within 30 days. This means that more than 75% of last-month consumers used for fewer than 20 days out of 30. Thus, almost daily consumption is a minority within the group that recently consumed cannabis, and the NDM shows that large differences exist in consumption frequency.
The NDM also reports figures on problematic consumption. In 2024, 1.7% of adults had an increased risk of a cannabis disorder, which equates to approximately 240,000 people. Within the group of adults who consumed cannabis in the past year, 24.1% had an increased risk of such a disorder. These figures distinguish between consumption in a broad sense and problematic consumption within a section of the consumer group.
That cannabis-related issues are also visible in healthcare is evident from addiction care figures. The NDM reports that in 2024, approximately 10,000 people were in treatment for cannabis-related issues. According to the NDM, cannabis-related issues concern almost a third of all people in treatment for drug-related problems and represent the most common issue among young people under 25 within addiction care. This shows that cannabis-related issues are a structural part of healthcare demand, even when total consumption remains stable.
More NVIC information requests about cannabis, especially edibles and vapes The NDM reports that there is no nationwide comprehensive registration of drug incidents, but available registrations show that cannabis was used in approximately one-fifth of registered drug-related incidents in 2023. Additionally, the NDM mentions that in 2024, cannabis was the drug with the highest number of telephone information requests at the Nationaal Vergiftigingen Informatie Centrum (NVIC). The NDM describes that the number of information requests increased due to a rise in questions about cannabis edibles and cannabis vapes. This shows that changes in consumption forms are also reflected in inquiries and incident registrations.
Specific groups and the Netherlands in European perspective The NDM also contains figures on cannabis consumption in specific groups of young people and young adults. Among schoolchildren aged 12–16 (reference year 2023), 8.5% indicated they had ever consumed cannabis, 7.0% reported consumption in the past year, and 4.4% in the past month. Among students in 2023, last-year consumption was higher: 23.2% among mbo students and 29% among hbo/wo students. Among young people and young adults who go out (16–35 years), 46.9% consumed cannabis in the past year. These figures show that consumption varies greatly depending on the context and target group.
The NDM also places the Dutch figures in a European perspective. Compared to the EU average, cannabis consumption in the Netherlands is higher. For the 15–64 age group, the EU average was 8.0% and in the Netherlands 10.2%. For 15–34-year-olds, the EU average was 15.0% and in the Netherlands 18.2%. This means that the Netherlands is above the average compared to other EU countries, both for adults and young adults.
Main conclusions from the NDM 2026 The NDM figures show a consistent picture of cannabis consumption in the Netherlands. Total consumption among adults remains stable: 6.9% consumed cannabis in the past year in 2024, and this percentage has not changed compared to 2023 and has remained roughly equal in the long term. Within young adults, shifts are visible: consumption is decreasing among the youngest adults, while consumption among 25–29-year-olds is higher than in 2015, causing the user group to become older on average. The NDM also shows that consumption patterns vary widely: on a use-day, the average is 1.4 joints and most consumers do not smoke more than one joint, while within last-month consumers, almost daily consumption (24.9%) is a minority and more than 75% use for fewer than 20 days per month. At the same time, there remains a group with an increased risk of problematic consumption and a clear demand for care, with 1.7% of adults at increased risk of a cannabis disorder, approximately 240,000 people in that risk group, and circa 10,000 people in treatment in addiction care for cannabis-related issues. In incident registrations and information requests, cannabis is also visible; the NDM reports that in 2024, cannabis was the drug with the highest number of telephone information requests at the NVIC, partly due to an increase regarding edibles and vapes. Together, these figures show that cannabis consumption in the Netherlands is stable in size, shifting in age composition, and that large differences exist in frequency and risk within the consumer group.
BCD Editorial, 4 February 2026
_The figures in this article come from the Nationale Drug Monitor, 2026 edition. Cannabis 3.0 Latest facts and trends – Nationale Drug Monitor. https://www.nationaledrugmonitor.nl/cannabis-laatste-feiten-en-trends/. Accessed on: 4 February 2026. Trimbos-instituut, Utrecht & WODC, The Hague._