Gestational diabetes
Page highlights
How common is gestational diabetes in Australia?
- Almost 1 in 5 women (18%) who gave birth in 2023–24 was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (49,800 women).
- Incidence of gestational diabetes increased with increasing maternal age, ranging from 7.4% in women aged 15–19 to 32% in those aged 45–49.
- the incidence of gestational diabetes in Australia has doubled between 2012–13 and 2023–24, from 9.3% to 18.9%.
Risk factors
The following factors (Nankervis et al. 2014) increase a woman’s risk of developing gestational diabetes:
- ethnicity: Asian, Indian subcontinent, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Pacific Islander, Māori, Middle Eastern, non-white African
- pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m²
- previous hyperglycaemia in pregnancy
- previous elevated blood glucose level
- maternal age ≥40 years
- family history of diabetes mellitus (close relative with diabetes or a sister with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy)
- previous macrosomia (baby with birth weight >4500g or >90th percentile)
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- medications: corticosteroids, antipsychotics.
Diagnostic criteria
The Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) guidelines recommend that all women without diabetes already detected in the current pregnancy should undergo a 75 g 2‐hour pregnancy oral glucose tolerance test (POGTT) at 24–28 weeks’ gestation (also known as universal testing). However, women with a previous history of gestational diabetes or an early pregnancy HbA1c level ≥ 6.0–6.4, but without diagnosed diabetes, are advised to undergo a 75 g two‐hour POGTT before 20 weeks’ gestation, ideally between 10 and 14 weeks’ gestation. A diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made based on (Sweeting et al. 2025):
- fasting plasma glucose ≥5.3–6.9 mmol/L
- 1-hour plasma glucose (post 75g oral glucose load) ≥10.6 mmol/L
- 2-hour plasma glucose (post 75g oral glucose load) ≥9.0–11.0 mmol/L.
For more information about screening, diagnosis and classification of gestational diabetes see the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) 2025 Consensus Statement.
How common is gestational diabetes in Australia?
In 2023–24, almost 1 in 5 women (18%) aged 15–49 who gave birth in an Australian hospital was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (49,800 females), based on the National Hospital Morbidity Database.
Variation by age
In 2023–24, the incidence of gestational diabetes increased with increasing maternal age, ranging from 7.4% to 32% in the 15–19 and 45–49 age groups, respectively. Compared with women aged 15–19, those aged 35–39 were 2.9 times as likely to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes while women aged 40–44 and 45–49 were 3.7 and 4.3 times as likely, respectively (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Incidence of gestational diabetes, by age, 2023–24
The chart shows that gestational diabetes is more frequent with increasing maternal age.
| Age group | Data |
|---|---|
| 15–19 | 7.4% |
| 20–24 | 11.4% |
| 25–29 | 14.9% |
| 30–34 | 17.7% |
| 35–39 | 21.7% |
| 40–44 | 27.2% |
| 45–49 | 31.8% |
| Total | 17.7% |
Note: Population (women aged 15–49 giving birth in Australian hospitals) based on ICD-10-AM diagnosis code.
Source:
AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.
|
Data source overview
Trends over time
After adjusting for changes in the age structure of the population over time, the incidence of gestational diabetes in Australia doubled between 2012–13 and 2023–24, from 9.3% to 18.9%. The highest incidence was recorded in 2021–22 at 19.3% (Figure 2).
The rising incidence of gestational diabetes in the last decade is likely driven by several factors including increasing maternal age, higher rates of maternal overweight and obesity, and a growing proportion of higher risk ethnic groups in the population (Laurie and McIntyre 2020). The introduction of new diagnostic guidelines across all states and territories between 2011 and 2013 and the establishment of the National Gestational Diabetes Register (NGDR) in 2011 may also have had an impact on rates. Of note, guidelines for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes were updated again in 2025 (Sweeting et al. 2025).
For further information refer to Incidence of gestational diabetes in Australia – Changing trends.
Figure 2: Incidence of gestational diabetes, 2012–13 to 2023–24
The chart shows the proportion of females diagnosed with gestational diabetes in Australia doubled between 2012–13 and 2023–24.
| Year | Data |
|---|---|
| 2012–13 | 9.3% |
| 2013–14 | 10.9% |
| 2014–15 | 12.4% |
| 2015–16 | 13.8% |
| 2016–17 | 15.1% |
| 2017–18 | 16.1% |
| 2018–19 | 16.6% |
| 2019–20 | 16.7% |
| 2020–21 | 17.9% |
| 2021–22 | 19.3% |
| 2022–23 | 18.8% |
| 2023–24 | 18.9% |
Notes
- Age-standardised to the 2001 Australian Standard Population of females aged 15–49.
- Population (women aged 15–49 giving birth in Australian hospitals) based on ICD-10-AM diagnosis code.
- Caution should be taken when comparing rates over time as several factors, including changes in diagnostic guidelines are likely to have had an impact on incidence in recent years.
Source:
AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.
|
Data source overview
Variation by priority population groups
Remoteness area
In 2023–24, the age-standardised incidence of gestational diabetes among women living in Major cities was 1.1 times the rate for those living in Inner regional areas but similar to those in Outer regional and Remote and very remote areas (Figure 3).
Socioeconomic area
In 2023–24, the incidence of gestational diabetes increased with increasing levels of socioeconomic disadvantage. After adjusting for differences in the age structure of the populations, women living in the lowest socioeconomic areas were 1.6 times as likely to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes as those living in the highest socioeconomic areas (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Incidence of gestational diabetes, by priority population group, 2023–24
The chart shows incidence was higher for women living in the lowest socioeconomic areas and lower for those in Inner regional areas.
| Remoteness area | Data |
|---|---|
| Major cities | 19.1% |
| Inner regional | 18.0% |
| Outer regional | 19.3% |
| Remote and very remote | 18.7% |
| Socioeconomic area | Data |
|---|---|
| Group 1 (most disadvantaged) | 23.5% |
| Group 2 | 20.0% |
| Group 3 | 18.8% |
| Group 4 | 18.0% |
| Group 5 (least disadvantaged) | 14.6% |
- Age-standardised to the 2001 Australian Standard Population of females aged 15–49.
- Population (women aged 15–49 giving birth in Australian hospitals) based on ICD-10-AM diagnosis code.
- Excludes persons whose remoteness area and/or socioeconomic area was missing or unassigned.
- Remoteness is classified according to the Australian Statistical Geography Standard 2021 Remoteness Areas structure based on 2021 Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) of usual residence.
- Socioeconomic groups are classified according to population-based quintiles using the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) based on 2021 SA2 of usual residence.
Source:
AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.
|
Data source overview
Country of birth
In 2023–24, after adjusting for differences in the age structure of the populations, compared with women born in Australia:
- women born in Southern and Central Asia, South–East Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, and North–East Asia were 2.1, 1.7 and 1.5 times as likely to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes, respectively
- women born in North-West Europe were 0.7 times, those born in the Americas 0.8 times and those born in Southern and Eastern Europe 0.9 times less likely to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Incidence of gestational diabetes, by country of birth, 2023–24
The chart shows incidence was highest for women born in Southern and Central Asia and lowest for North-West Europe (33% and 12%, respectively).
| Country of birth | Data |
|---|---|
| Southern and Central Asia | 33.1% |
| South-East Asia | 27.0% |
| North Africa and the Middle East | 23.7% |
| North-East Asia | 23.7% |
| Oceania and Antarctica | 19.3% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 17.4% |
| Australia | 16.0% |
| Southern and Eastern Europe | 14.8% |
| Americas | 12.6% |
| North-West Europe | 11.9% |
- Age-standardised to the 2001 Australian Standard Population of females aged 15–49.
- Population (women aged 15–49 giving birth in Australian hospitals) based on ICD-10-AM diagnosis code.
- Excludes persons whose birth country was not stated or inadequately described.
- Country of birth is classified using major groupings from the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) 2nd edition.
Source:
AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.
|
Data source overview
For information for First Nations people see chapter for First Nations people.
Measuring the number of women living with gestational diabetes or pre-existing diabetes during pregnancy at a given time (prevalence) is a challenge due to data gaps. However, measuring the total number of diabetes-impacted pregnancies (incidence) provides important information about gestational diabetes.
The 3 primary sources of data available to report on diabetes in pregnancy at the national level are:
- National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC)
- National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD)
- National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS).
These data sources are administrative data sets designed to collect information primarily for administrative purposes, so might not always be suitable for monitoring complex health issues and research. For further information see Improving national reporting on diabetes in pregnancy: technical report.
National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD)
In this report, the NHMD is the primary data source used to report gestational diabetes incidence and complications associated with both gestational diabetes and pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy. The NHMD contains episode-level records from admitted patient data collection systems in Australian public and private hospitals and includes administrative, demographic and clinical data. The NHMD captures virtually all births in Australia, with 97% of babies born in a hospital (AIHW 2025) and allows the calculation of a national estimate of gestational diabetes incidence. The NHMD provides national data on pregnancies affected by diabetes, and some complications and interventions. Data from the NHMD enable new cases of gestational diabetes in Australia over time to be identified. While the NHMD allows for the differentiation between pre-existing diabetes types using ICD-10-AM codes, changes to the ICD-10-AM coding, and the accuracy of recording diabetes type have an impact on the ability to report complications by diabetes type from the NHMD (AIHW 2014; Knight et al. 2011).
National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC)
Compared with the other data sources (NHMD and NDSS), the NPDC provides comprehensive data for assessing the short-term impact of diabetes in pregnancy on the health of mothers and babies. But national data for all pregnancies affected by diabetes are not available for reporting, as data on diabetes status in Victoria are not currently collected in a format comparable with the specifications for the NPDC, so are excluded when reporting on the impact of diabetes in pregnancy. Data are also not currently of sufficient quality to assess diabetes type at the national level, as some jurisdictions are unable to distinguish between pre-existing diabetes types. Before 2014, information for diabetes type was provided, but varied across jurisdictions, so data cannot be compared with data collected after 2014.
National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS)
The NDSS allows the number of women with gestational diabetes to be identified at the national level, including the number of women having a repeat diagnosis of gestational diabetes, and provides information about the number of women who are using insulin therapy as the method of treatment for their condition. But the NDSS cannot be used to assess pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy or be used to assess pregnancy-related complications or outcomes.
Note: A definitive diagnosis of gestational diabetes cannot be made until after the birth of the baby, hence the initial diagnosis of gestational diabetes can include women with other forms of diabetes, detected for the first time in pregnancy (Nankervis et al. 2014).
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2014) Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease–Australian facts: morbidity–hospital care, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 1 December 2021.
AIHW (2019) Incidence of gestational diabetes in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 19 August 2022.
AIHW (2025) Australia's mothers and babies, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 30 January 2026.
Knight KM, Thornburg LL and Pressman EK (2012) 'Pregnancy outcomes in type 2 diabetic patients as compared with type 1 diabetic patients and nondiabetic controls', The Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 57(9–10):397–404.
Laurie J and McIntyre D (2020) ‘A Review of the Current Status of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Australia–The Clinical Impact of Changing Population Demographics and Diagnostic Criteria on Prevalence’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24):9387, doi:10.3390/ijerph17249387.
Nankervis A, Mclntyre H, Moses R, Ross G, Callaway L, Porter C, Jeffries W, Boorman C, De Vries B and McElduff A, for the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (2014) ADIPS consensus guidelines for the testing and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in Australia. Sydney: Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society.
Sweeting A, Hare MJ, de Jersey SJ, Shub AL, Zinga J, Foged C, Hall RM, Wong T, Simmons D. (2025) 'Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) 2025 consensus recommendations for the screening, diagnosis and classification of gestational diabetes', Medical Journal of Australia, 4;223(3):161-167, doi:10.5694/mja2.52696.