GBD 2021: Global, Regional, and National Burden of Diabetes From 1990 to 2021, With Projections of Prevalence to 2050
2023
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Using the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 study, researchers examined the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of diabetes for 204 countries and territories by age and sex between 1990 and 2021 and forecasted diabetes prevalence to 2050.
In 2021, there were 529 million people living with diabetes worldwide with a global prevalence rate of 6.1%, making diabetes one of the top 10 leading causes of death and disability. The highest rate was 9.3% in North Africa and the Middle East, which was projected to increase to 16.8% by 2050. The prevalence in people 65 and older was greater than 20% in nearly all countries. High body mass index (BMI) was the primary risk for type 2 diabetes and accounted for 52.2% of diabetes-related disability and mortality. Other risk factors included dietary risks, environmental/occupational risks, tobacco use, low physical activity, and alcohol use.
Given the multiple and complex drivers of diabetes, the authors emphasize the need to better understand disparities in both disease burden and risk factors, in order to be able to develop effective strategies and policies to improve population health.
Led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, GBD is a global effort with researchers from over 150 countries and territories. IHME and other partnering organizations have developed numerous resources to disseminate and visualize the findings of the GBD studies, data visualizations and interactives, country profiles, policy reports, research articles, infographics, and the GBD Results Tool, which allows users to search GBD data.
Source:
GBD 2021 Diabetes Collaborators. Global, Regional, and National Burden of Diabetes From 1990 to 2021, With Projections of Prevalence to 2050: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet 2023; 402(10397): 203-234. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01301-6.