Global and African data for 2023 reveal notable differences in the criminal justice response to drug offences, particularly concerning prosecution and conviction rates per 100 individuals who have had formal contact with the police.
For drug trafficking, Africa shows a lower rate of prosecution than the global average. Out of 100 individuals formally contacted by police, 47 were prosecuted in Africa, compared to 51 globally.
The conviction rate for trafficking is also lower in Africa at 40, while the global rate stands at 28. The significantly higher conviction rate in Africa compared to the global rate suggests that cases that do proceed to trial are more likely to result in a conviction.
The statistics for drug use and possession show a higher rate of prosecution in Africa, with 59 individuals prosecuted out of 100 formal contacts, versus 40 globally.
Africa also boasts a substantially higher conviction rate for this offence at 54, while the global rate is only 21. This indicates that, for lower-level drug offenses, African systems tend to prosecute and convict a much larger percentage of individuals who come into contact with law enforcement than the global average.
