Overview

Diabetes is a chronic condition marked by high levels of glucose in the blood. The main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2 and gestational. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form, and is largely preventable by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Latest findings

Type 2 diabetes disproportionately impacts on Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians Diabetes death and hospitalisation rates in Remote and very remote areas were two-times the rate in Major cities Socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with higher diabetes (prevalence, hospitalisation and death) rates Type 2 diabetes and type 1 diabetes accounted for 2.2% and 0.3% of Australia’s disease burden respectively in 2015 An estimated 1.2 million Australians (4.9% of the total population) had diabetes in 2017–18, based on self-reported data In 2017–18, an estimated 5.4% (or 1 million) Australian adults had type 2 diabetes, based on self-reported data Incidence rates of type 1 diabetes fluctuated between 12 and 13 cases per 100,000 population, during 2000 to 2018 In 2017–18, 43,100 (16%) mothers aged 15–49 who gave birth in hospital were diagnosed with gestational diabetes Diabetes contributed to 11% of Australian deaths in 2018 (16,700 deaths) (underlying or associated cause) An estimated 1.2 million Australians (4.9% of the total population) had diabetes in 2017–18, based on self-reported data Diabetes death and hospitalisation rates in Remote and very remote areas were twice as high as the rate in Major cities Around 1.2 million hospitalisations were associated with diabetes in 2017–18 (principal and/or additional diagnosis) Prevalence of overweight and obesity among Australian adults increased steadily from 50% in 2001 to 67% in 2017–18

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Highlights

1 in 20 Australian adults (5%)—about 1.2 million people—had diabetes in 2017–18, based on self-reported data
Just over 1 in 10Australian deaths in 2018 had diabetes as an underlying or associated cause of death—16,700 deaths
Indigenous Australians were around 4 times as likely to have type 2 diabetes prevalence, hospitalisation and death rates as non-Indigenous Australians
Remote and very remoteareas had diabetes hospitalisation and death rates that were at least 2 times as high as Major cities
30,800people started using insulin in 2019 to treat their diabetes
The lowest socioeconomic areas had diabetes hospitalisation and death rates that were 2 times as high as the highest socioeconomic areas
1.2 millionhospitalisations were associated with diabetes (principal and/or additional diagnosis) in 2017–18—11% of all hospitalisations in Australia
Type 2 diabeteswas the 12th largest contributor to Australia’s disease burden in 2015 (2.2% of total burden)