New Delhi, Jan 16: India emerged as the country with the world’s second-largest adult diabetes population in 2024, with an estimated 90 million people living with the condition, according to a study published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. China topped the list with 148 million cases, while the United States ranked third with 39 million.
The study, conducted by researchers from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in Belgium along with the India Diabetes Research Foundation and Dr A Ramachandran’s Diabetes Hospital, Chennai, found that populous countries such as China, India, the US and Pakistan account for a significant share of the global diabetes burden. Researchers projected that Pakistan could overtake the US in diabetes prevalence by 2050.
The findings are based on the eleventh edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas, which provides national, regional and global estimates for 2024 and projections up to 2050. Data were drawn from 246 studies conducted between 2005 and 2024, covering 215 countries and territories.
Globally, more than 589 million adults aged 20–79—over 11 per cent of the world’s adult population—were living with diabetes in 2024. This figure is projected to rise to nearly 853 million adults, or about 13 per cent, by 2050. “In 2024, one in nine adults worldwide was living with diabetes,” the authors noted.
The study highlighted that over 80 per cent of people with diabetes lived in low- and middle-income countries in 2024, which are also expected to account for more than 95 per cent of the global increase in cases by 2050. Population growth, ageing and rapid urbanisation were cited as major contributors.
Researchers stressed the need for improved data collection in resource-poor settings to better monitor the rising burden. Diabetes prevalence was found to peak at nearly 25 per cent among adults aged 75–79, was higher among men than women, and more common in urban than rural areas. The authors warned that the diabetes epidemic has continued unchecked for decades and called for stronger, tailored interventions worldwide. (Agencies)
