Banned substances were found in more than 3,800 samples out of 283,304 tests carried out worldwide last year, World Anti-Doping Agency figures reveal.
However, that represented a fall, across all sports, of more than 10%, despite an increase in the number of tests carried out.
Athletics has been the subject of allegations of widespread doping.
And WADA has said more than 10% of elite athletes could be using performance-enhancing drugs.
August's athletics World Championships in Beijing included 66 competitors who had previously been subject to doping sanctions.
Athletics' Governing Body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), carried out more than 1,400 tests on an estimated 600-700 athletes - only a third of the total number of competitors - in China. Just two - Kenyan runners Joyce Zakary and Koki Manunga - failed them, although the IAAF said samples would be frozen and stored for future reanalysis as science and technology progressed.
As well as the reduction in samples containing banned substances - or 'adverse analytical findings' - in 2014, the number of tests requiring further investigation also fell. In contrast, the number of adverse findings had increased by more than 10% between 2012 and 2013.
WADA says the fall in these 'atypical findings' is partly due to the introduction of the athlete biological passport.
WADA's results report the number of tests carried out by sport governing bodies and national anti-doping organizations submitted to its 32 accredited laboratories worldwide.
A blood or urine sample showing a banned substance does not automatically mean the athlete in question has been doping. Some prohibited substances can be produced naturally by the body, for example.
The findings in brief
In total, 283,304 samples were analyzed by WADA-Accredited Laboratories across Olympic and non-Olympic Sports, compared with 269,878 in 2013.
Adverse or atypical findings were returned for 3,866 samples, 1.36% of all tests carried out.
Football was the sport that carried out the most tests last year, with 144 samples out of 31,242 taken detecting banned substances.
Among other Olympic Sports, Aquatics (12,120), Athletics (25,830) and Cycling (22,471) performed the most tests, while Equestrian (1.8%), Golf (1.6%) and Weightlifting (1.9%) had the highest rate of adverse findings.
Banned substances were found in a diverse range of Sports including Bridge and Darts.
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