China, India, Pakistan, US, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Philippines, Saudi Arabia: Top 20 diabetes 'hotspots'
Diabetes kills 1 person every 9 seconds: Countries with highest number of diabetics
The spike in healthcare cost of diabetes has hit $1 trillion across the world, the latest Diabetes Atlas estimate reported.
This poses a growing an multi-faceted challenge to multiple countries going forward.
The report, published in August 2025 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) stated that 589 million adults (20-79 years) are now living with diabetes globally — 1 in 9.
Of that number, 252 million cases are “undiagnosed”, with patients unknowingly facing high complication risks.
Cases set to spike
Projections show cases are set to rise by 853 million by 2050, of which 81% will be in low/middle-income countries (LMIC).
In 2024, diabetes caused 3.4 million deaths (1 every 9 seconds) and exceeded US$1 trillion in health spending, up 338% in 17 years, the report pointed out.
Urgent calls emphasise prevention, early detection amid LMIC burdens, according to the latest International Diabetes Federation (IDF) report, published in August 2025.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by high blood glucose (sugar) levels, which result from the body's inability to produce or properly use the hormone insulin.
It is often considered a disease of "over-abundance" in the context of Type 2 diabetes, where lifestyle factors like obesity and over-nutrition are primary risk factors.
Following are the Top 20 countries in terms of diabetes cases:
Top 20 countries by absolute numbers of diabetes cases:
| Rank | Country | Cases (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 148 |
| 2 | India | 101 |
| 3 | Pakistan | 36 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 21 |
| 5 | United States | 20 |
| 6 | Brazil | 20 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 14 |
| 8 | Mexico | 14 |
| 9 | Japan | 11 |
| 10 | Egypt | 10 |
| 11 | Germany | 9 |
| 12 | Turkey | 8 |
| 13 | Iran | 7 |
| 14 | Thailand | 6 |
| 15 | Philippines | 6 |
| 16 | Russia | 6 |
| 17 | Saudi Arabia | 5 |
| 18 | Algeria | 5 |
| 19 | South Africa | 4 |
| 20 | Nigeria | 4 |
Top 20 Countries by diabetes prevalence
| Rank | Country/Territory | Prevalence (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pakistan | 30.8 |
| 2 | French Polynesia | 25.2 |
| 3 | Kuwait | 24.9 |
| 4 | New Caledonia | 23.4 |
| 5 | Northern Mariana Is. | 23.4 |
| 6 | Nauru | 23.4 |
| 7 | Marshall Islands | 23.0 |
| 8 | Guyana | 21.8 |
| 9 | Solomon Islands | 19.8 |
| 10 | Guam | 19.1 |
| 11 | Kiribati | 18.2 |
| 12 | American Samoa | 17.9 |
| 13 | Mauritius | 16.5 |
| 14 | Saint Kitts & Nevis | 16.1 |
| 15 | Vanuatu | 15.6 |
| 16 | Micronesia | 15.6 |
| 17 | Tonga | 15.0 |
| 18 | Barbados | 14.6 |
| 19 | Belize | 14.5 |
| 20 | Suriname | 13.8 |
(SourceS: International Diabetes Federation | Diabetes Atlas 11th Edition, 2025)
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