Diabetes causes one death every 9 seconds, affecting 13% of the world's population by 2050... India is also at great risk
Pakistan was not included in the South-East Asia region. Among the countries in this region, India has the highest prevalence of diabetes. It is estimated that the number of people with diabetes will increase by 73% to 185 million by 2050. However, diabetes is also a major problem in Pakistan, ranking among the top 5 in the global rankings.
Diabetes is becoming a major problem for many major countries, including India. The disease is spreading so rapidly in India that cases have tripled in the last 25 years.
India has the second-highest number of diabetes patients, with approximately 600 million people worldwide currently suffering from diabetes. According to a report, in 2024, one person died every nine seconds due to diabetes.
The Diabetes Atlas (2025) edition released by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that the problem of diabetes will become catastrophic in the next 25 years.
According to the data, in 2024, 589 million people (over 580 million) worldwide between the ages of 20-79 will suffer from diabetes, and by 2050, this number will increase to over 853 million (850 million).
1 in 9 suffers from diabetes
According to the report, one in nine people worldwide between the ages of 20 and 79 currently suffers from this disease. This number is steadily increasing and is projected to reach 853 million by 2050.
The ever-growing disease is also impacting the economy. Nearly one trillion dollars has been spent on the disease, an increase of 338 percent over the past 17 years.
The number of deaths due to diabetes is also steadily increasing worldwide. In 2024, 3.4 million people worldwide died from this disease, accounting for one in every nine deaths.
Most patients in the Western Pacific region
Looking at the global map by region, the Western Pacific region has the highest number of people living with diabetes, with 215 million.
This region includes 37 countries, including China. Southeast Asia is next, with 107 million people suffering from this dangerous disease, including seven countries, including India.
The Middle East and North Africa region, which ranks third, has 85 million people with diabetes. Europe has 66 million cases, North America and the Caribbean 56 million, and South and Central America 35 million. Africa has the lowest number of diabetes patients, at 25 million.
One in every seven patients in India is diabetic.
India now accounts for one in seven diabetes patients globally. In 2024, approximately 89.8 million people (approximately 90 million) in India between the ages of 20 and 79 were living with diabetes. Globally, India ranks second after China in terms of diabetes.
According to estimates, if the number of diabetes patients in India continues to grow at this rate, the number will increase by 75 percent in 25 years, by 2025.
This number will reach 156.7 million in 2050, compared to 89.80 million in 2024. Even then, India will remain in second place in the global rankings.
5-fold increase in 2050 compared to 2000
While the number of diabetes patients in the country was 32.7 million (more than 3.20 crore) in the year 2000, it will increase to 61.3 million (more than 6.12 crore) in 2011, 89.8 million (more than 8.98 crore) in 2024 and 156.7 million (more than 15.67 crore) in 2050. This number will increase by almost 5 times in 2050 as compared to 2000.
Diabetes is also a major cause of death. In 2011, 983,203 people died from the disease in India, while in 2024, this number decreased to 334,922.2 deaths.
India contributes 80 percent to the region
India contributes significantly to the diabetes burden in the South-East Asia region. In 2024, 89.8 million adults aged 20-79 years were living with diabetes in India, out of a total of 107 million people in the region.
Thus, India contributes more than 80% of the regional diabetes burden. The number of adults with diabetes in the Southeast Asia region is projected to increase by 73%, reaching 184.5 million by 2050.
Pakistan will be number 3 by 2050
On the other hand, the Lancet Diabetes Endocrine 2025 found that in 2024, diabetes accounted for 11.11% of the total population, with over 580 million adults suffering from it. By 2050, the global diabetes population will be approximately 13%, or over 850 million.
China has the highest number of diabetes patients, with 148 million people living with diabetes. India is next with approximately 90 million people living with the disease.
The United States is third, and Pakistan is fourth. By 2050, while China and India will maintain their top positions, Pakistan will fall to third.
Diabetes