How Has the Incidence of Diabetes Changed over Time?

The incidence of diabetes more than doubled from 1980-2011, with more than 314 million people worldwide diagnosed with diabetes. Although as much as 30 percent of this increase might be caused by increased diagnosis, the trend was expected to continue at least through 2030. Worldwide, about 10 percent of men have diabetes, and about 9 percent of women have diabetes.

More about diabetes:

• The incidence of diabetes increased the most in Cape Verde, Samoa; and Papua New Guinea; as well as in Saudi Arabia and the United States. The regions that showed the least increase in diabetes diagnoses were sub-Saharan Africa, central Latin America and more developed Asian countries.


• More than one-fourth of Americans who are older than 65 have diabetes.


• In the U.S., non-Hispanic blacks have the highest rates of diabetes, with about 12.6 percent being diagnosed with diabetes. Non-Hispanic whites have the lowest rates of diabetes, with about 7.1 percent of them diagnosed with diabetes.