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90+ Important Diabetes Statistics in 2024

Stay informed on diabetes statistics and explore corporate diabetes programs for essential resources like personalized counseling, dietary plans, and exercise routines.
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Diabetes is a severe health problem with epidemic proportions that affects more than half a billion people globally. In fact, the latest diabetes statistics show how alarming the situation is today. 

To better understand diabetes, one must first understand insulin’s role in the body. Insulin regulates the glucose levels in the bloodstream, and it transports the sugar into the cells.  

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body’s cells don’t use it effectively. When there’s a lack of insulin, the blood sugar stays in the bloodstream, causing an increase in blood glucose.  

The prevalence rates of this health condition are rapidly growing around the world. Currently, they are estimated at 10.5%. And the International Diabetes Federation predicts that this rate will continue to rise over time.

General Diabetes Stats

According to the current diabetes statistics, more than 500 million people have diabetes, and older people are the most affected. However, these rates are also growing among the youngest due to poor nutrition and lifestyle. The diabetes stats show that men and women are affected, with slightly more men having the disease. 

  • Approximately 537 million people between 20 and 79 live with the disease, or 10.5% of the global population. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • It is estimated that by 2045 the global diabetes prevalence will surpass 12%. (Statista, 2021) 
  • It is expected that the number of people with the condition will increase by 134% in Africa, 68% in South-East Asia, and 13% in Europe. (Statista, 2021) 
  • 37 million, or 11.3% of the U.S. population, have diabetes. (CDC, 2020) 
  • One in twenty people, or 1.3 million, are affected in Australia. (ABS, 2022) 
  • China has the highest number of cases, 141 million diabetics. (Statista, 2021) 
  • The highest prevalence rate is in French Polynesia, with 27% of its population suffering from the condition. (Statista, 2021) 
  • Three in four adults with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021)
  • 360 million diabetics live in urban areas, whereas 176.6 million live in rural areas. The prevalence in urban areas is 12.1% compared to 8.6% in urban areas. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • Only 2.2% of young adults between 20 to 24 deal with this condition. For elders between 75 to 79, it is 24%. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • 283,000 Americans under the age of 20 are estimated to have the disease. (ADA, 2022) 
  • 29.2% or 15.9 million American seniors aged 65+ have diabetes. (ADA, 2022) 
  • Almost one in five or 19.2% of people aged 75+ in Australia are diabetic. (ABS, 2022) 
  • Globally the prevalence for men and women is almost the same at 10.8% vs. 10.2%, respectively. That’s 17.7 million more men than women. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • The rates between Australian men and women are also similar at 5.7% and 4.9%, respectively. (ABS, 2022) 
  • The rate for American men is 15.4%, and for women is 14.1%. (CDC, 2020) 
  • Almost one in two, or 239.7 million people, aren’t aware they have the condition. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • 23% or 8.5 million American adults with diabetes are undiagnosed. (CDC, 2020) 
  • 87.5% of undiagnosed cases live in low- or middle-income countries. In high-income countries, almost a third of people are undiagnosed. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • The highest proportions of undiagnosed cases are in Africa (53.6%), the Western Pacific (52.8%), and South-East Asia (51.3%). (Statista, 2021) 
  • There are 1.4 million new cases yearly in the U.S. (ADA, 2022) 
  • One person dies every five seconds due to this condition. This accumulates to 6.7 million deaths. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • In the Western Pacific region, 717.4 million people younger than 60 lost their lives due to the disease. (Statista, 2021) 
  • In 2019, diabetes was the main cause of death for 282,801 Americans. (ADA, 2022) 
  • The condition was ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in Australia, taking 5,148 lives. (ABS, 2022)
  • According to projections, there will be 783 million diabetics worldwide by 2045. (Statista, 2022) 
  • In 2022, 23.4 million Americans were diagnosed with the condition. (Statista, 2022) 
  • In the US, Mississippi has the highest prevalence rate of diabetes, with 17.2% of adults having the condition. (Statista, 2022) 
  • In North Dakota, the highest prevalence rate at 19% is among people with less than $15,000 income. Among those who earn between $15,000 to $25,000, the prevalence is 15.2% and 10% for those earning $25,000 to $50,000. People who make more than $50,000 have the lowest rate at 7.7%. (North Dakota Health, 2022) 
  • A prevalence rate of 19.2% is recorded among 65+ year-olds living in North Dakota. Among those aged 35-44, the rate is 4.6%. (North Dakota Health, 2022) 

Prevalence Rate of Diabetes in North America vs. Europe

The International Diabetes Federation has investigated each continent separately. Focusing the comparative analysis on North America and Europe, here’s the prevalence rate of diabetes for the two regions: 

  • The rate in North America is 14% compared to 9.2% in Europe. 
  • The rate of undiagnosed cases is 24.1% in North America as opposed to 35.7% in Europe. 
  • 13% of the population in North America is affected by impaired glucose tolerance, counter to 8.2% in Europe.
  • 8.8% in North America have impaired fasting glucose, whereas, in Europe, it is 3.8% of the population. 
  • In North America, the five countries with the highest rates are Mexico (16.9%), Saint Kitts and Nevis (16.1%), Belize (14.5%), Barbados (14%), and Bermuda (13%). 
  • In Europe, the countries with the highest rates are Turkey (14.5%), Spain (10.3%), Andorra (9.7%), Portugal (9.1%), and Serbia (9.1%) 

Prediabetes Stats

Prediabetes occurs when the blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes. It can be divided into impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG).  

Excess weight and age are important risk factors for prediabetes progressing to type 2 diabetes. However, it is reversible with healthy lifestyle changes. 

  • Worldwide, 10.6% of adults or 541 million are estimated to have impaired glucose tolerance. 6.2% or 319 million are estimated to have impaired fasting glucose. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • 13.6 million British people are suffering from prediabetes. (Diabetes UK, 2022) 
  • 96 million people aged 18+ are affected by the condition in the U.S. (CDC, 2020) 
  • Eight in ten Americans aren’t aware they have the disease. (CDC, 2020) 
  • IGT prevalence is estimated to be around 20% for people aged 65+. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021)
  • The peak for IFG prevalence is 8.1% among persons aged 60 to 64. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • 26.4 million or 48.8% of Americans aged 65+ have the condition. (CDC, 2020) 
  • Prediabetes is most common in middle-income countries, with around 628.4 million people affected by IGT and IFG. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • More American men (41%) than women (39%) have prediabetes. (CDC, 2020) 

Type 1 Diabetes Stats

Type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas produces very little or no insulin at all. Therefore, every person that has type 1 must take additional insulin. Usually, it develops at a young age. However, it can happen at any age, as the type 1 diabetes statistics below show us. 

The causes for this type are unknown.  

According to CDC, it is believed to be an autoimmune reaction where the body attacks the cells that produce insulin. Even though it is irreversible, there are ways to manage it, such as walking, dieting, and taking diabetes medicines. 

  • Diabetes type 1 statistics show that around 10% of people that have the disease have type 1. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • 8% of diabetics have type 1 in the U.K. (Diabetes UK, 2022) 
  • 40% of British people between 40 and 64 have type 1. (Statista, 2021) 
  • About 5-10% of Americans suffer from type 1. (CDC, 2020) 
  • Globally, 1.2 million children and adolescents under 20 are estimated to be affected by type 1. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • 54% of the 1.2 million are children under the age of 15. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • India has the highest number of people under 20 who have type 1, with 229,400 cases. The following country is the U.S., with 157,900 diabetics. (Statista, 2021) 
  • There are around 150,000 new type 1 cases among people under 20 every year. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • Finland has the highest annual rates of new cases among children, with 52 new cases per 100,000 children, followed by Sweden with 44.1, and Kuwait with 41.7. (Statista, 2021)
  • In 2022, 8.75 million people globally had type 1 diabetes. (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022) 
  • One-fifth, or 1.9 million, of those with type 1 live in low or lower-middle-income countries. (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022) 
  • 1.52 million people were under the age of 20. Among people between 20 and 59 years, 5.56 million had type 1 diabetes. 1.67 million diabetics were older than 60. (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022) 
  • In 2022, out of the 530,000 newly diagnosed cases, 201,000 were individuals under 20. (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022) 
  • The US has the highest prevalence of type 1 diabetes. (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022) 
  • The life expectancy for a 10-year-old with type 1 diabetes ranges from 19 to 75 years, depending on the country of living. (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022) 
  • Approximately 182,000 individuals died due to type 1 diabetes in 2022. (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022) 
  • About 35,000 deaths were non-diagnosed people under 25. (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022)

Type 2 Diabetes Stats

Type 2 diabetes is when the body’s cells don’t respond to insulin appropriately.  

As a result, the pancreas produces more and more insulin, consequently increasing blood sugar levels. Type 2 can develop over many years. Physical inactivity, excess weight, and genes are the most common causes. This type can be managed with lifestyle changes. What is more, by maintaining blood glucose control, it can even be reversed.

  • Diabetes type 2 statistics show that over 90% of cases worldwide are type 2. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • 90 to 95% or around 33 to 35 million diabetic Americans have type 2. (CDC, 2020) 
  • The number of people in the U.S. is expected to rise to 38 million by 2025. (Statista, 2021) 
  • Around 90% of British develop type 2. (Diabetes UK, 2022) 
  • 541 million people are at greater risk of developing this type. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • The highest rates for people with this type under 20 are in Brazil (1,000+ per 100,000 population), followed by the Black populations in the Americas (160+ per 100,000), and the lowest are in Europe (0.6 to 2.7 per 100,000). (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) \
  • 98% of people with type 2 have at least one comorbid chronic disease, and approximately 90% have two or more. (Science Direct, 2020) 
  • Young people with this type have two to three times higher chances of developing microvascular complications. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021)
  • Obesity increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by at least six times. (North Dakota Health, 2022) 
  • If the obesity trends continue, projections are that one in three adults will have type 2 by 2050. (North Dakota Health, 2022) 
  • In the US, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among obese adults is 67.1%. (North Dakota Health, 2022) 
  • Indigenous women have a higher prevalence of type 2 compared to Indigenous men. (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022) 
  • The prevalence among Indigenous Nations is over 10%. (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022) 
  • A high prevalence rate among Indigenous people aged 15-24 is reported in Central Australia (31.1 per 1,000), followed by the Torres Strait Islands (21 per 1,000) and the Great Plains region in the US (10 per 1,000). (IDF Atlas Reports, 2022)

Gestational Diabetes Stats

Gestational diabetes is when a woman develops high blood glucose levels, or hyperglycemia, during pregnancy. It can affect women that didn’t have the condition before their prenatal period. Typically, it appears during the second or third trimester. Generally, it is detected by doing a glucose tolerance test. In most cases, it disappears after giving birth.  

However, it puts women at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is manageable by leading a healthy life in terms of diet and exercise.  

  • The highest prevalence rate of 25.9% is seen in South-East Asia (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • 21.7 million live births by women developed hyperglycemia levels during pregnancy. 80.3% of these were due to gestational diabetes. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • South-East Asia counts 6.8 million live births affected by high blood sugar levels, followed by Africa with 4.1 million. (Statista, 2021) 
  • Annually, 2% to 10% of American women develop gestational diabetes. (CDC, 2021) 
  • 50% to 70% of women with gestational develop type 2 later in life. (JAMA, 2021) 

Cost of Diabetes Stats

  • Regarding the cost of diabetes stats, 11.5% of the total global health spending is attributed to diabetes. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • The global health expenditure due to the disease is estimated at $966 billion. (Statista, 2021) 
  • The global cost of diabetes is expected to reach over one trillion dollars in 2030. (Statista, 2021) 
  • The North America and Caribbean region have the highest expenditure of $415 billion, accounting for 42.9% of the global cost. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • The West Pacific region’s expenses are estimated at $241.3 billion, corresponding to 25%. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021)
  • Europe’s cost is estimated at 19.6%, or $189 billion. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • The U.S. and China are the countries that spend the highest amounts of $379.9 billion and $165.3 billion, respectively. (Statista, 2021) 
  • Gambia and Nauru have the lowest diabetes-related expenditures of $2.4 million and $1.6 million, respectively. (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) 
  • The North America and Caribbean region spend the most per patient ($8648.6), whereas the South-East Asia region spends the least ($403.5). (Statista, 2021)
  • The U.S.’s average cost per patient is the highest at $12,000, followed by Switzerland and Norway at over $9,000. (Statista, 2021) 
  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the lowest spending per patient at $156, followed by Bangladesh at $200. (Statista, 2021) 
  • In the US, medications make up almost half the excess cost associated with direct medical expenditure due to diabetes. (North Dakota Health, 2022) 
  • $15 billion is spent on insulin, $15.9 billion on other anti-diabetes agents, and $71.2 billion on prescription medicines associated with diabetes. (North Dakota Health, 2022) 
  • The medical expenses for people with diabetes are 2.3 times higher than those without the disease. (North Dakota Health, 2022) 

How to Manage Diabetes in the Workplace

The diabetes statistics above show that people of all ages are at risk of developing this condition. Hence, the number of companies that offer diabetes programs to their employees is constantly growing. Diabetes prevention is possible if the appropriate measures are taken.

What do Corporate Diabetes Programs have to Offer?

Managing diabetes in the workplace is a challenge. So, if the company provides its employees with corporate diabetes programs that offer easier access to care and management, that can be a game-changer.  

These programs often provide counseling with health professionals, diet plans, exercise schedules, and proper medication usage. 

In addition, they may offer digital tools, which include mobile or computer apps that can help employees monitor and manage their blood sugar levels. 

Some diabetes programs might also provide glucose testing supplies that employees can refill, so they always have what is needed to check their glucose levels. 

Finally, some programs include artificial intelligence platforms which analyze genetics, gut bacteria, or lifestyle habits to create personalized programs including fitness, nutrition, or sleep management to reduce the risk of diabetes.

Written by SHORTLISTER EDITORIAL TEAM

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