Diabetes - Epidemiology

Prevalence of diabetes

• Total 15 million people - 5.9 % of the population - have diabetes.

• Diagnosed: 10.3 million people

• Undiagnosed: 5.4 million people

Incidence of diabetes

• New cases diagnosed per year: 798,000

Deaths among persons with diabetes

• Studies have found death rates to be twice as high among middle-aged people with diabetes as among middle-aged people without diabetes.

• Based on death certificate data, diabetes contributed to 193,140 deaths in 1996

• Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 1996, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

• Diabetes is believed to be under reported on death certificates, both as a condition and as a cause of death.

Prevalence of diabetes by age

• Age 65 years or older: 6.3 million. 18.4% of all people in this age group have diabetes.

• Age 20 year or older: 15.6 million. 8.2% of all people in this age group have diabetes.

• Under age 20: 123,000. 0.16% of all people in this age group have diabetes.

Prevalence of diabetes by sex in people 20 years or older

• Men: 7.5 million. 8.2% of all men have diabetes.

• Women: 8.1 million. 8.2% of all women have diabetes.

Prevalence of diabetes by race/ethnicity in people 20 years or older

• Non-Hispanic whites: 11.3 million. 7.8% of all non-Hispanic whites have diabetes.

• Non-Hispanic blacks: 2.3 million. 10.8% of all non-Hispanic blacks have diabetes. On average, non-Hispanic blacks are 1.7 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age.

• Mexican Americans: 1.2 million. 10.6% of all Mexican Americans have diabetes. On average, Mexican Americans are 1.9 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age.

• Other Hispanic/Latino Americans: On average, Hispanic/Latino Americans are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age. (Sufficient data are not currently available to derive more specific estimates.)

• American Indians and Alaska Natives: 9% of American Indians and Alaska Natives have diagnosed diabetes. On average, American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.8 times as likely to have diagnosed diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age.

• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Prevalence data for diabetes among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are limited. Some groups within this population are at increased risk for diabetes. For example, data collected from1988 to 1995 suggest that Native Hawaiians are twice as likely to have diagnosed diabetes as white residents of Hawaii.