The biggest, baddest black markets in the US
Landfills, “Star Wars,” abstinence and breakfast cereal — just a few of the numbers the website Statistic Brain tracks.
There’s also a tally on the value of black markets. Overall, Statistic Brain says there is about $625 billion of illicit trade in the U.S. every year, and 1.8 billion jobs are created by the black market globally.
Product counterfeiting tops out as one of the most lucrative categories, at a U.S. market value of $225 billion.
CEO Seth Harden says some of these numbers can be hard to come by, but here’s a quick snapshot of some value of goods for sale on the black market, according to Statistic Brain:
| Average U.S. Street Value for Illicit Items | Street Value |
| AK-47 Price | $400 |
| Cocaine Price | $174.2 per gram |
| Ecstasy Price | $35 per tablet |
| Heroin Price | $200 per gram |
| Marijuana Price | $20 – $1,800 per ounce |
| Meth Price | $3 – $500 per gram |
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
