Diabetes Statistics - American Diabetes Association

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Diabetes Statistics

There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, or 7% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 6.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease.

With so many people affected by diabetes, the American Diabetes Association has compiled diabetes statistics on the impact of the disease and its complications.

Total Prevalence of Diabetes & Pre-diabetes
Read more detailed information on the prevalence of diabetes, and how it affects different races/ethnicities.

Complications of Diabetes in the United States
Diabetes is associated with an increased risk for a number of serious, sometimes life-threatening complications and certain populations experience an even greater threat. Good diabetes control can help reduce your risk, however many people are not even aware that they have diabetes until they develop one of its complications.

The Dangerous Toll of Diabetes
Based on death certificate data, diabetes contributed to 224,092 deaths in 2002. Studies indicate that diabetes in generally under-reported on death certificates, particularly in the cases of older persons with multiples chronic conditions such as heart disease and hypertension. Because of this, the toll of diabetes is believed to be much higher than officially reported.

Direct and Indirect Costs of Diabetes in the United States
The total annual economic cost of diabetes in 2007 was estimated to be $174 billion. Medical expenditures totaled $116 billion and were comprised of $27 billion for diabetes care, $58 billion for chronic diabetes-related complications, and $31 billion for excess general medical costs.

National Diabetes Fact Sheet (PDF)
This is the official Fact Sheet developed jointly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the American Diabetes Association, and other partners. The Fact Sheet is the authoritative source of information, statistics, and national estimates on diabetes in the United States.

The National Diabetes Fact Sheet was compiled using these methods and resources. (PDF)

Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. for 2007 (PDF)
An authoritative study of the direct and indirect costs of diabetes conducted by the American Diabetes Association and endorsed by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The World Health Organization's Report -- Preventing Chronic Diseases: A Vital Investment (PDF)
The report makes the case for urgent action in countries all over the world to halt and turn back the growing threat of chronic diseases, and dispels the long-held misunderstandings about heart disease, stroke, cancer and other chronic diseases.