Drug offence charges in Australian criminal courts fell 15% to 31,383 defendants in the 2024‑25 financial year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Unlawful possession or use made up 70% of the offences and dropped 17% from the prior year. Queensland saw the largest decline, with 4,745 fewer defendants (42% down), followed by Victoria with 930 fewer (20% down). Western Australia and South Australia experienced increases of 981 (14% up) and 193 (11% up), respectively. Three‑quarters of defendants were male and the median age was 36.5 years. Of those sentenced, 99% received a guilty verdict; 56% were fined and 11% were placed in custody. Overall criminal‑court defendants rose 1% across all offence types.
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This article is a summary of content originally published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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