About 589 million adults worldwide are living with diabetes as of 2024, representing 11.1% of the global adult population. That works out to roughly one in every nine adults between the ages of 20 and 79.
The Global Count in 2024
The International Diabetes Federation’s most recent estimates, published in 2025, put the total at approximately 590 million adults with diabetes. This figure includes both diagnosed and undiagnosed cases, and it covers all forms of the disease. The vast majority of these cases, roughly 90 to 95%, are type 2 diabetes, which develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t produce enough of it. Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition where the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells, accounts for the remaining 5 to 10%.
Beyond the adult numbers, 1.8 million children and adolescents under 20 are living with type 1 diabetes globally. An estimated 30,000 children and young people die each year without ever being diagnosed at the onset of the disease, largely in low- and middle-income countries where access to testing and insulin is limited.
A Large Share Goes Undiagnosed
A significant portion of people with diabetes don’t know they have it. In the United States, where screening is relatively accessible, about 4.5% of adults with diabetes remain undiagnosed. In many parts of the world, the gap is far wider. Type 2 diabetes can develop slowly over years, often producing no obvious symptoms until blood sugar levels are high enough to cause damage to the eyes, kidneys, or nerves. This is why screening matters: by the time symptoms appear, complications may already be underway.
Age Is the Biggest Risk Factor
Diabetes prevalence rises sharply with age. Among adults 65 and older, about one in five has diabetes. That translates to roughly 136 million older adults living with the condition worldwide, a number projected to reach 195 million by 2030 and 276 million by 2045 as the global population ages. The combination of declining insulin sensitivity, less physical activity, and decades of dietary habits makes older adults especially vulnerable to type 2 diabetes.
That said, type 2 diabetes is increasingly appearing in younger adults, adolescents, and even children, driven by rising rates of obesity and sedentary lifestyles in many countries.
Deaths and Complications
Diabetes was the direct cause of 1.6 million deaths in 2021, according to the World Health Organization. Nearly half of those deaths, 47%, occurred in people under 70. But the true toll is higher than that headline number suggests. Diabetes contributed to an additional 530,000 deaths from kidney disease and caused around 11% of all cardiovascular deaths globally. Heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and lower limb amputations are all common long-term complications when blood sugar stays elevated over time.
The gap between “deaths from diabetes” and “deaths involving diabetes” is important. Diabetes often appears on death certificates as a contributing factor rather than the primary cause, which means official mortality counts understate its real impact.
The Financial Burden
Globally, about 12% of all healthcare spending goes toward diabetes. That averages out to roughly $1,760 per person with diabetes per year, though the actual amount varies enormously by country. Total diabetes-related health expenditure has increased by 338% over the past 17 years, driven by both the growing number of people with the disease and the rising cost of treatment, monitoring supplies, and managing complications.
For individuals, the costs extend beyond medical bills. Lost productivity, reduced earning potential, and the daily financial burden of supplies like test strips and medications add up. In countries without universal healthcare or insulin subsidies, the out-of-pocket costs can be devastating.
Why the Numbers Keep Rising
The global diabetes count has been climbing steeply for decades and shows no sign of leveling off. Several forces are driving the increase simultaneously. Urbanization has shifted billions of people toward more sedentary lifestyles and diets higher in processed foods and sugar. Obesity rates have risen in nearly every country. Populations are aging, which means more people are entering the highest-risk years for type 2 diabetes. And improved screening in some regions is identifying cases that would have gone undetected a generation ago.
Projections from the IDF suggest the numbers will continue climbing through at least 2050, with the steepest increases expected in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, regions where healthcare systems are least equipped to manage a chronic disease that requires lifelong monitoring and treatment. The trajectory makes diabetes one of the fastest-growing health challenges on the planet, alongside obesity and cardiovascular disease, all three of which are deeply interconnected.