Pakistan ranks first globally in diabetes prevalence

ISLAMABAD/BANGKOL: With a staggering 31.4 percentage age-standardised prevalence among adults aged 20 to 79 years, Pakistan now ranks first globally in diabetes prevalence, according to latest figures released in 11th edition of IDF Diabetes Atlas at International Diabetes Federation (IDF) event in Bangkok.

The findings were presented at the IDF World Diabetes Congress 2025, which has brought together hundreds of diabetologists, endocrinologists and global health experts from around the world. 

The data paints a grim picture of Pakistan’s health landscape, revealing approximately 230,000 Pakistanis die annually due to diabetes-related complications. 

“If current trends continue, Pakistan is projected to overtake United States by 2050, becoming the country with the third-highest number of diabetes patients — expected to hit 70.2 million, up from 34.5 million in 2024”, says the data.

The countries expected to have highest overall age-standardised diabetes prevalence in 2050 remain nearly unchanged, with Pakistan reaching 34.2pc, followed by Marshall Islands at 28.7pc and Kiribati at 28.5pc. 

“We are dealing with a silent pandemic. The rising numbers are not just statistics — they represent a national emergency requiring urgent policy, prevention and treatment reforms,” said Prof Abdul Basit, Director of Indus Diabetes and Endocrinology Centre (IDEC) at Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN) and Secretary General of Diabetic Association of Pakistan (DAP). 

“With over nine million people undiagnosed and healthcare expenditure as low as $79 per person annually, Pakistan’s diabetes response is severely under-resourced”.

Globally, diabetes remains one of fastest-growing health crises. As of 2024, an estimated 589 million adults (ages 20–79) are living with diabetes, including over 9.5 million with type 1 diabetes — 1.9 million of whom are children and adolescents. This number is projected to rise to 853 million by 2050. 

A significant portion of global population is at risk, with 635 million having impaired glucose tolerance and 488 million impaired fasting glucose. In 2024 alone, over 3.4 million deaths were attributed to diabetes-related causes. For the first time, global health spending on diabetes has exceeded $1 trillion — and this figure is expected to increase further. 

Alarmingly, 43pc of people with diabetes remain undiagnosed, primarily those with type 2 diabetes, highlighting urgent need for improved screening and early intervention. Additionally, hyperglycaemia in pregnancy now affects one in five pregnancies, adding to the growing public health burden.

According to IDF report, Pakistan ranks fifth globally in terms of undiagnosed diabetes, with 26.9pc of adults unaware of their condition. This equates to more than 9.3 million people not receiving necessary treatment, increasing their risk of severe complications, such as kidney failure, blindness, limb amputation and premature death. 

“One of our biggest challenges is lack of awareness, both among general public and frontline healthcare workers”, added Prof Basit. Screening, early detection, and affordable medicines must become top priorities at the national level, he advised.

Diabetes is especially prevalent among older adults in Pakistan. The number of people aged 65 to 99 years living with the condition is expected to more than double from 4.2 million in 2024 to 9.6 million by 2050. 

This increase poses a significant burden on Pakistan’s already struggling healthcare system and aging population. The Atlas also highlights severe inequality in global diabetes care spending. 

Pakistan ranks second last globally in terms of diabetes-related health expenditure, spending just $79 per person annually. This contrasts starkly with countries like Switzerland and United States, which spend $12,234 and $10,497 per person, respectively. 

“We cannot continue to rely solely on tertiary care hospitals. Community-level interventions, school-based awareness, lifestyle modifications, and integration with TB and other NCD programmes are the way forward”, urged Prof Basit. 

Within the Islamic world, Pakistan leads in both the number and prevalence of diabetes, with projections estimating 70 million cases by 2050. This far exceeds Egypt (25 million), Iran (8.2 million) and Saudi Arabia (9.5 million). Other Islamic nations with high age-standardised prevalence rates include Kuwait (28.2pc), Qatar (27pc) and Saudi Arabia (25.4pc).

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, to which Pakistan is grouped by IDF, average diabetes prevalence stands at 17.6pc, far below Pakistan’s 26.5pc. Yet, the IDF projects age-adjusted prevalence in Pakistan will rise to 34.2pc by 2050, maintaining its position as the highest in the world. 

The WHO-IDF event in Bangkok emphasised critical link between non-communicable diseases like diabetes and communicable diseases like TB, especially in countries with high burdens of both. 

Experts urged governments to integrate diabetes care into universal health coverage, increase national funding and focus on early diagnosis and prevention strategies. 

“This is not just a healthcare issue — it’s an economic, social and human rights issue. Without urgent action, diabetes will devastate future generations in Pakistan. The time to act was yesterday,” Prof Abdul Basit warned.