When it comes to diabetes, knowledge is the key. Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware of what puts them in a risk group for type 1 or type 2 diabetes. They don’t know how to postpone, prevent, or adequately manage it. Diabetes statistics will continue to skyrocket until people learn that their current lifestyles are putting them at risk.
Our team put together some of the key statistics to help spread awareness. Although type 1 diabetes is unpredictable and unstoppable, there’s something that can be done about type 2 diabetes, and the more people know, the higher the chances of them taking action to change their lifestyle and protect themselves.
The Top 10 Diabetes Stats (Editor’s Picks)
- In 2018, 34.2 million Americans had diabetes.
- There are 187,000 adolescents under 20 years old that have type 1 diabetes.
- Of all people that have been diagnosed with diabetes, only 10% have type 1 diabetes.
- For 2020, 1.4 million adults over 20 years old have type 1 diabetes.
- In 2019, 89% of US adults over 18 diagnosed with diabetes were overweight or obese.
- According to childhood diabetes statistics, there were 1,106,500 cases worldwide in 2017.
- 44% of individuals have lived with type 2 diabetes for more than 9 years.
- 5,758 children aged 10–19 are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
- Only 43% of Europeans understand the risks and are knowledgeable about type 2 diabetes.
- Taking alpha-lipoic acid supplements may increase insulin sensitivity by about 18–20%.
Continue reading to get the rest of the facts and statistics on a national and global level, find out how to prevent or postpone it, and learn the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes Statistics
A lot, yet very little is known about type 1 diabetes. Although we are aware of what comes after one is diagnosed, it’s still unknown what causes it aside from potential family risk factors. This autoimmune disease reduces the function of your pancreas by destroying its cells, preventing your body from making insulin properly. Although it cannot be prevented, postponed, or cured, there are ways to manage it through insulin, dietary supplements, diet, exercise, and various medications.
1. CDC diabetes statistics reveal that there are 187,000 adolescents under 20 that have type 1 diabetes.
(Center for Disease Control)
In the United States, there are 210,000 adolescents and children that are diagnosed with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, the majority are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, as the prevalence rate of type 1 diabetes in the younger generation is much higher than type 2 diabetes.
2. Type 1 diabetes facts reveal that of all people that have been diagnosed with diabetes, only 10% are with type 1 diabetes.
(International Diabetes Federation)
Although anyone can get diabetes at just about any age, it is more prominent in adults, except for type 1 diabetes. There is still no clear information about the risk factors of getting type 1 diabetes, but the risk is slightly higher if you have a family member with diabetes.
3. The Center for Disease Control diabetes statistics reveal that, in 2020, 1.4 million adults over 20 have type 1 diabetes.
(Center for Disease Control)
Furthermore, this number makes up 5.2% of all of the adults in the United States diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and controlling it by using insulin. Of the adults with type 1 diabetes, 10.9%, or 2.9 million, reported that they started using insulin within one after their diagnosis.
4. The facts about type 1 diabetes reveal that having it could shorten a man’s life by 11 years.
(dLife)
Furthermore, women with type 1 diabetes could have their life shortened by 13 years in comparison to the average lifespan of a woman. Since the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes usually takes place earlier in life, diagnosed individuals live longer with the disease than those with type 2 diabetes. The impact on the health of those with type 1 diabetes results in a shortened lifespan.
5. According to childhood diabetes statistics, there were 1,106,500 cases worldwide in 2017.
(European Society of Cardiology)
This number doesn’t represent all age groups with type 1 diabetes. This statistic only covers the age group of zero to 19 years. Furthermore, the same report states that there is an annual incidence of new type 1 diabetes cases of 132,600. This leads us to believe that there must be a lot more to just family history associated with these new cases, including a much-needed change in the lifestyle of children.
Type 2 Diabetes Statistics
Unlike type 1 diabetes, it is possible to postpone or even prevent type 2 diabetes. On that note, it’s very likely to increase the risks as well. Knowing the factors that increase your chances of type 2 diabetes is the first step to protecting yourself, even if you are within the uncontrolled risk groups. Learn more about type 2 diabetes below and see what actions you can take so you don’t become part of the statistics.
6. Type 2 diabetes facts show that staying physically active and maintaining a healthy diet are critical preventive factors for individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes.
(International Diabetes Federation)
Unlike type 1, type 2 diabetes dramatically reflects the lifestyle of the affected individual, and the risk increases if they aren’t physically active or maintain a healthy diet. Clinical trials prove that simple lifestyle modifications, in combination with pharmacological agents, could either delay or entirely prevent type 2 diabetes.
7. Type 2 diabetes statistics from 2019 show that 44% of individuals have lived with type 2 diabetes for more than 9 years.
(International Diabetes Federation)
The percentage of individuals that have lived with diabetes for six to nine years is 16%, while the percentage of those living with type 2 diabetes for three to six years is slightly more at 18%. The frightening percentage of individuals living with type 2 diabetes from zero to three years is 22%.
8. Facts about type 2 diabetes reveal that urban life could be a factor that increases prevalence.
(International Diabetes Federation)
This is backed by the fact that the incidence of diabetes in urban areas reaches 10.8%, while in rural areas it is 3.5% less, at 7.2%. The urbanized lifestyle has proven to be more sedentary than rural. Furthermore, the unhealthy habits of those who prefer living in cities over rural areas include eating more processed foods and having a higher calorie intake, which reflects the above numbers.
9. CDC diabetes stats reveal that 90–95% of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes.
(Center for Disease Control)
Type 2 diabetes is a lot more prominent than type 1. The majority of all diabetes cases are type 2. This is because it’s mainly a lifestyle disease, and its numbers have risen dramatically over the years. In the past, it was infrequent to see a child with type 2 diabetes, but it has become more and more common, further increasing the numbers.
10. The WHO and the UN are taking action to reduce the stats on diabetes by 30% by 2030.
(Diabetes Atlas)
The United Nations and the World Health Organization are working towards improving healthcare and taking action to reduce premature deaths from diseases that are non-communicable. It’s important to note that type 2 diabetes can be prevented. For those that have it, its complications can be prevented, and the disease can be managed with early diagnosis and access to proper medication and dietary supplements.
11. Diabetes statistics reveal that 5,758 children aged 10 to 19 years are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
(Center for Disease Control)
The unfortunate numbers continue to go up every year, with a significant increase between 2002 and 2015 in child type 2 diabetes. The facts reveal that one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes — an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle — has started to affect children dramatically. More and more children will be at risk unless drastic changes are made toward a healthier lifestyle.
Diabetes Statistics in America
The United States is among the leaders in diabetes cases worldwide, both type 1 and type 2. Easy access to unhealthy fast food, lack of exercise, and overall unhealthy everyday lifestyle have led to not only an increase in diabetes cases but also a drop in the average age group in type 2 diabetes. Below, you will find some of the most disturbing numbers concerning diabetes in the US.
12. Diabetes Statistics for 2018 show that 34.2 million Americans had diabetes in that year.
(American Diabetes Association)
From a percentile point of view, this is 10.5% of the US population. Furthermore, 1.6 million were Americans who had type 1 diabetes. This number includes approximately 187,000 children. On average, as per 2018 statistics, 1.5 million people in the US are diagnosed yearly, but the prevalence in seniors, however, is still among the highest, at 14.3 million in the US alone.
13. The National Diabetes Statistics Report revealed that, in 2018, there were 1.5 million diabetes cases in over 18-year-olds.
(Center for Disease Control)
This means that in 2018, every 6.9 of 1,000 persons were diagnosed with diabetes. However, the incidence rates were much higher among adults over 45 years. The 45 to 64-year-olds were the age group with the highest incidence rates for 2018, with 706,000 diagnosed patients that year.
14. The National Diabetes Statistics Report for 2019 shows that 89% of US adults over 18 diagnosed with diabetes were overweight or had obesity.
(Center for Disease Control)
Being overweight or obese is defined by having a body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or higher, and it’s one of the leading causes of diabetes. The majority (45.8%) of this percent were classified as obese or having a BMI of 30–39.9 kg/m2. Those that were overweight followed at 27.6%, with a BMI of 25–29.9 kg/m2. Those with extreme obesity or those with a BMI above 40 kg/m2 were at 15.5%.
15. In 2017, diabetes was among the top ten leading causes of death in the US, as per stats of diabetes.
(Center for Disease Control)
Diabetes deaths took seventh place as a leading cause of death in the US. This ranking is based on the 83,564 death certificates that had diabetes listed as an underlying cause for the patient’s death. This number represents 25.7 deaths with diabetes as an underlying cause for every 100,000 deaths.
16. The current National Diabetes Statistics Report shows that $327 billion was the estimated direct and indirect cost of diagnosed diabetes in the US.
(Center for Disease Control)
The estimated direct costs of the diagnosed diabetes increased from $188 billion in 2012 to $237 billion in 2017, while the indirect costs went from $73 billion in 2012 to $90 billion by 2017. Overall, the high medical costs per individual diagnosed with diabetes went from $8,417 to $9,601 for the same period.
Diabetes Statistics Worldwide
Worldwide statistics are more than unnerving. Millions worldwide are diagnosed with diabetes, and many more live their lives undiagnosed. Once, type 2 diabetes was a disease that may come with old age. Today, more and more of the young population is diagnosed, revealing the frightening facts about our lifestyles. Learn these statistics and share the facts to help spread awareness.
17. Alarming diabetes statistics from 2019 reveal that 111 million people over 65 years of age have diabetes worldwide.
(Diabetes Atlas)
It means that one in five people over 65 have diabetes. Unfortunately, these diabetes numbers are expected to grow. It is projected that this number will increase to 195 million by 2030 and 276 million by 2045. This isn’t only a personal health issue. It will also bring many economic and public health challenges over the next 25 years.
18. Diabetes statistics worldwide for 2018 reveal that the pharmaceutical spending on anti-diabetic products was at $79 billion globally.
(Statista)
Over the last 10 years, spending on anti-diabetic products has increased dramatically. In 2008, spending on anti-diabetic products was around $27 billion globally. Anti-diabetic products are usually ingested orally. They often go by the name of oral antihyperglycemic agents or oral hypoglycemic agents. Exceptions to these anti-diabetic orally ingested drugs are pramlintide, liraglutide, exenatide, and insulin.
19. Diabetes statistics worldwide for 2019 show that only 43% of Europeans understand the risks and are knowledgeable about type 2 diabetes.
(International Diabetes Federation)
This puts the European region in first place among all the regions. Second place goes to the Western Pacific region at 33%, followed by Southeast Asia and South and Central America at 7%. The Middle East and North Africa (5%), North America and the Caribbean (2%), and Africa (1%) need to work more towards educating the general public about type 2 diabetes. Part of prevention is knowledge, and more needs to be done.
20. Gestational diabetes statistics reveal that 15.8% of women had some type of hyperglycemia during their pregnancy.
(Diabetes Atlas)
The estimation is that this percent represented 20.4 million live births in 2019. Out of these, 83.6% of births were to women with gestational diabetes mellitus. Only 7.9% of the 20.4 million births were to mothers with diabetes diagnosed before the pregnancy, while in 8.5% of the cases, diabetes was detected during the pregnancy.
21. Obesity and diabetes statistics prove that part of the reason for Africa to have the lowest age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes for 2019 (4.7%) is low levels of urbanization.
(International Diabetes Federation)
The prognosis continues to be lower than the rest of the regions, with 5.1% in 2030 and 5.2% in 2045. Other possible reasons for this low percent are more moderate levels of obesity, a smaller number of overweight people, and overall under-nutrition. However, with continued urbanization of the population, by 2045, it has the most significant increase in the percentage of all the regions. It is expected to increase by up to 143% for the same period.
Diabetes Facts
Although a healthy diet with vitamins and minerals is the ideal way to maintain your health, quality multi-vitamins and supplements are also a means to provide your body with what it needs. A part of reducing high blood sugar and preventing or controlling diabetes means paying attention to your health and nutrition and doing regular exercise. Below are some interesting facts on diabetes that may interest you.
22. Taking alpha-lipoic acid supplements may increase insulin sensitivity by about 18–20%, facts about diabetes reveal.
(U.S. Pharmacist)
Also referred to as ALA, this antioxidant aids in the conversion of food into energy. Although not commonly used for A1C or blood glucose control, it has shown positive results in increased insulin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes who take medications with hypoglycemia. However, this supplement is usually taken for improving associated symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.
23. The WHO diabetes facts sheet reveals that 2.6% of all global blindness may be attributed to diabetes.
(World Health Organization)
Among the consequences of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy is one that affects the eyes by causing damage to the blood vessels within the retina resulting in loss of eyesight. Other common consequences of diabetes include increased risk of stroke or heart attack, nerve damage to the feet that could potentially lead to amputations, and kidney failure.
24. 22–67% of diabetes patients use dietary supplements, as per statistics on diabetes.
(U.S. Pharmacist)
There are many beneficial reasons for both healthy individuals and those with diabetes to turn to supplements. Studies have found that A1C is lower in those with diabetes when they take supplements. Furthermore, a diabetes outpatient clinic revealed that more than half of their patients take dietary supplements. It was found that it was twice as common for type 2 diabetes patients to take supplements than type 1 diabetes patients.
25. Diabetes facts reveal that a 58% reduction in diabetes incidences is possible through lifestyle intervention.
(Research Gate)
A clinical study from 2008 done to determine whether lifestyle intervention may reduce diabetes incidence revealed that, when compared with the placebo group, those with recommendations such as a healthy diet and weight loss had a reduction in diabetes incidence. The weight loss group is predominant in these results. The test group that lost weight saw a 16% risk reduction per every kilogram they lost.
26. Diabetes statistics show that 4 in 5 parents have difficulty recognizing diabetes warning signs in their children.
(International Diabetes Federation)
The research revealed that one in three parents would not spot the warning signs at all. This shows the importance of the need for further awareness and education about the dangers and warning signs of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Warning signs to keep an eye out for are: numbness in feet and/or hands, slow healing wounds, lack of energy, blurred vision, frequent urination, and frequent thirst.
FAQs
What causes diabetes?
There are two types of diabetes. The cause of diabetes type 1 is not well known, while type 2 is caused by a combination of factors associated with the lifestyle of the individual.
- Type 1 diabetes: For unknown reasons, the cells in the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system, and the body is left without having enough insulin to function correctly. As the body attacks itself, this is known as an autoimmune reaction.
- Type 2 diabetes: Family history is the main factor that causes type 2 diabetes, but obesity, bad diet, aging, and a sedentary life contribute to the risk.
What is pre-diabetes?
Pre-diabetes is one of the diabetes types that can be reversed if proper actions, such as a healthy diet, exercise, and weight regulation, are taken. If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, it means that your blood glucose levels are above what they should be, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
What is type 1 diabetes?
The difference between type 1 vs. type 2 diabetes is that people with type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin, or produce very little of it. It’s still unknown precisely what the cause for type 1 diabetes is, but it usually affects patients at an early age, and the symptoms come on faster. The only way to manage type 1 diabetes is by regularly taking insulin to control blood sugar levels. There is no way to prevent or cure yourself of type 1 diabetes.
What is type 2 diabetes?
Unlike type 1, type 2 diabetes can be prevented and even put into remission once it has set on. If diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it means that your body cannot make enough insulin, or the insulin does not work correctly. There are risk factors that could lead to type 2 diabetes, such as being overweight, having a stationary lifestyle, and even ethnicity. Diabetes 2 symptoms come on much slower, making them easier to miss, but it can be managed through diet, exercise, and medication.
How many carbs per meal for diabetes type 2?
A healthy diet is key to controlling type 2 diabetes. It’s recommended that those with type 2 diabetes maintain a diet of no more than 45–65 grams of carbohydrates each meal.
How to prevent diabetes?
There is no way to prevent type 1 diabetes. Still, with a healthy diet, proper weight maintenance, and regular exercise, you can increase your chances of not getting type 2 diabetes even if you are in a risk group.
The Bottom Line
The numbers of type 2 diabetes are increasing dramatically worldwide, revealing that our lifestyles, urbanization, and unhealthy diets are contributing to the drastic increase in diabetes statistics. Awareness and knowledge must be spread to stop this epidemic and prevent our sedentary life and bad diet from getting us sick.
Sources:
- American Diabetes Association
- Center for Disease Control
- Diabetes Atlas
- Diabetes Atlas
- dLife
- European Society of Cardiology
- International Diabetes Federation
- International Diabetes Federation
- International Diabetes Federation
- International Diabetes Federation
- International Diabetes Federation
- International Diabetes Federation
- Research Gate
- Statista
- U.S. Pharmacist
- World Health Organization
