Methamphetamine use increased by 15%, stabilising at "elevated" levels over the first three months of 2026, according to new wastewater testing data from police.
Meanwhile, cocaine use decreased, and MDMA use increased by 21%.
The data covers the first three months of 2026, with wastewater from about 80% of New Zealand's population tested. Fentanyl and heroin were also tested for, but the report focused on methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine as they were "routinely detected" by the programme.
Police said that methamphetamine use across sample sites had "remained elevated" but "stable" during the first quarter of 2026.
An average of 36.6kg was used per week – a 15% (4.7kg) increase from the average quantity consumed over the previous four quarters. Use of the drug equated to an estimated weekly social harm cost of $38.4 million.
Northland, followed by Waikato (which saw a decrease), had the highest detected meth use, but "most districts recorded above average methamphetamine use," police said.
MDMA use increased by 21% compared with previous quarters, according to the testing, averaging an estimated 8.1kg per week.
Sites in the Southern and Canterbury districts recorded the highest MDMA use. Police said: "Only Tāmaki Makaurau and Canterbury District recorded a notable increase in MDMA use when compared with their average consumption over the previous four quarters."
It was estimated MDMA use across the areas sampled contributed to a weekly social harm cost of $1.7 million.
Following "exceptionally high" cocaine use in the last quarter of 2025, police said use of the drug decreased at the start of this year, averaging 0.7kg per week. This was still above the average amount consumed over the previous four quarters.
The highest use was detected in Bay of Plenty and Auckland, but "most districts recorded above-average cocaine use," police said.
What's driving the numbers?
Massey University Professor Chris Wilkins from the SHORE & Whariki Drug Research Team told 1News methamphetamine use had doubled in 2024, stayed level through 2025, and "seems to be hitting up again".
He said there had been a "massive increase" in methamphetamine use for both Australia and New Zealand, as well as a "noticeable" rise in cocaine use.
He said that based on recent drug seizures in North America, "it seems that Mexican drug cartels may be becoming more established in New Zealand or in Oceania and providing supply of both methamphetamine and cocaine".
Prices for methamphetamine, Wilkins said, were another possible driver. He said the average price for a gram of the drug had dropped from $563 in 2017/18 to $334 in 2025.
"It changes from a drug where you need a certain amount of income to be attainable for younger people with no income. Also, lower socioeconomic people can use more, or they can start using."
Meanwhile, Dr Fiona Hutton, Associate Professor at the Institute of Criminology at Victoria University, said it was important to note that use was stable after a rise early in the year.
She said that because wastewater testing was unable to show how people were using the drug, it was difficult to tell what was driving the increase and subsequent stabilisation.
"We could say that maybe people are managing to access support, perhaps, so their use is stabilising."
Hutton said there had also been some research showing methamphetamine use was consolidating around heavy and frequent users, "not necessarily new users".
When it came to MDMA, Hutton said that because of how and when the drug is normally taken, "I think it would be expected to see it rise in the summer quartiles".
"It's the festival, party, summer holiday season. And really, I think, the same for cocaine as well, although that has declined."
Wilkins said the effect Covid-19 had on the drug market also played a role in the rise of MDMA.
"Because a lot of MD is made in Europe – the Netherlands and Belgium are really big production sites – when Covid-19 hit, it really disrupted global trade networks and supply chains, and that, in turn, affected MDMA.
"Social distancing and lockdowns affected how MD is used, which is typically at dance parties and large gatherings. So over the last year or two, what we've seen is essentially a recovery in MD production and supply to both New Zealand and Australia."
Support for users needed
Hutton said New Zealand had made some headway into new ways of helping drug users outside of criminal prosecutions, through various programmes and holistic approaches.
"So we want to not take our foot off the pedal on things like that and be continuing to support those kinds of efforts, to look at ways to support people."
"We need to find ways to try to create a pathway for people to get to treatment and to reduce harm for them and to provide support while they're on that."
She said wastewater testing was one of the tools used to monitor drug trends, but wasn't perfect, and warned against any "knee-jerk reactions" or sudden crackdowns.
Stats for methamphetamine use were "generally low", Hutton said, with testing unable to tell how drugs were being used – "It can't tell us whether we're looking at addicted use, use that's causing problems for people and families and communities, occasional use, experimental use, and so on."
"Use is often concentrated in particular communities suffering already from multiple issues, which has devastating effects for those particular communities. So that's where perhaps we need to focus our support and resourcing for people who are using methamphetamine problematically."
For MDMA, she said experimental or recreational use at summer festivals was not a huge cause for concern, with the most harm coming from unchecked drugs.
For drug use as a whole, "these things are going to fluctuate across different local contexts and also across time," Hutton said.
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