Five things the IDF Diabetes Atlas 2025 tells us
The Atlas runs to hundreds of pages. Here's what matters, in plain language.
1. It's common.
About 589 million adults aged 20–79 were living with diabetes in 2024 , around 1 in 9 adults globally.
2. Many people don't know.
More than 4 in 10 adults with diabetes are estimated to be unaware they have it. That's roughly 252 million people.
3. It's mostly a low- and middle-income country story.
Around 81% of adults with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries. The global burden isn't distributed evenly, and neither are the resources available to respond to it.
4. It's growing.
By 2050, about 853 million adults are projected to be living with diabetes , a 46% increase from 2024.
5. Most diabetes is type 2 , but the story isn't simply about individual choices.
More than 90% of diabetes cases are type 2. Its development is shaped by a mix of genetic, social, economic, environmental and behavioural factors. Prevention, earlier diagnosis and access to good care can reduce its impact.
Africa faces the steepest rise.
Around 25 million adults in the IDF Africa region were living with diabetes in 2024. By 2050, that number is projected to reach about 60 million , a 142% increase, the largest proportional rise of any IDF region.
About 73% of adults with diabetes in the region are estimated to be undiagnosed. At the same time, the region accounts for only about 1% of global diabetes-related health expenditure.
What this doesn't tell us
- These are modelled estimates and projections, not a head count. The 11th edition uses updated methods and the best evidence available to the authors.
- The headline prevalence figures above cover adults aged 20–79, so they do not describe the full diabetes burden among children and adolescents.
- The Atlas states that the 11th edition was supported through educational grants from Sanofi, Novo Nordisk and MSD. Funding does not by itself invalidate the findings, but it is relevant context for readers.
So what does this actually mean?
The story isn't simply that diabetes is becoming more common. The burden is growing fastest in places where diagnosis, treatment and health resources can be harder to access. That makes understandable, locally relevant health information part of the picture too.
International Diabetes Federation. IDF Diabetes Atlas, 11th edition (2025).
Read the original Atlas →MHH reviewed: 15 October 2026 · Educational information only , not medical advice.