Type 2 diabetes

Almost 1 million Australian adults (5.3% of those aged 18 and over) had type 2 diabetes in 2017–18, according to self-reported data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2017–18 National Health Survey. Proportions were:

  • slightly higher for men than women (6.1% and 4.6%, respectively). Age-specific rates for men were higher than women from age 45 onwards (Figure 1).
  • relatively similar across Major cities (4.8%), Inner regional (4.2%) and Outer regional and remote areas (6.0%).
  • around twice as high among those living in the lowest socioeconomic areas (7.0%) compared with the highest socioeconomic areas (3.3%) (Figure 2).

Information based on self-reported data only is likely to underestimate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes as many cases remain unreported, due to survey participants either not knowing or accurately reporting their diabetes status. For further information about self-reported data limitations, refer to self-reported in the glossary.

Figure 1: Prevalence of self-reported type 2 diabetes, among persons aged 18 and over, 2017–18

The bar chart shows the prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased rapidly from the 18–44 to 75+ from around 1% for both sexes to 19% for men and 15% for women. The rates in the 75+ age group were 5 times that of the 45–54 age group. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased more rapidly for men than women from the 45–54 age group. Prevalence for men was 1.6 and 1.3 times higher for men than women in the 65–74 and 75+ age groups, respectively.

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Figure 2: Prevalence of self-reported type 2 diabetes, among persons aged 18 and over, by sex, remoteness and socioeconomic areas, 2017–18

The chart shows the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among persons aged 18 and over was similar by remoteness area with 4.5% in Major cities, 4.2% in Inner regional areas and 6.0% in Outer regional and remote areas. Prevalence among men in these areas was 1.2–1.3 times as high as women. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased by level of socioeconomic disadvantage with those living in the lowest socioeconomic areas 1.6 times as likely to have type 2 diabetes as those living in the highest socioeconomic areas (7.4% and 4.5%, respectively). Prevalence was 1.2 to 2.0 times higher among men than women in all socioeconomic areas.

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Information on insulin use among people with type 2 diabetes is available from the National (insulin-treated) Diabetes Register (NDR). Around 17,000 people with type 2 diabetes began insulin treatment in 2018, equating to around 4,200 cases per 100,000 registrants with type 2 diabetes not previously using insulin. According to the NDR:

  • incidence rates for insulin-treated type 2 diabetes were 1.7 times as high for females as males (5,400 and 3,200 per 100,000, respectively).
  • almost all cases of insulin-treated type 2 diabetes (91%) occurred among those aged 40 and over.

Note: Incidence rates of insulin-treated type 2 diabetes for Indigenous registrants have been excluded from this report, as the NDR may underestimate the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander registrants with diabetes.  For more information see the ‘Methods and classifications’ section of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Incidence of insulin-treated diabetes in Australia report.

Reference

ABS 2019a. Microdata: National Health Survey, 2017–18. ABS cat. no. 4324.0.55.001. Findings based on Detailed Microdata File analysis. Canberra: ABS.