The Facts

Prevalence: In 2021, 38.4 million Americans, or 11.6% of the population, had diabetes. 2 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, including about 304,000 children and adolescents
Diagnosed and undiagnosed: Of the 38.4 million adults with diabetes, 29.7 million were diagnosed, and 8.7 million were undiagnosed.
Prevalence in seniors: The percentage of Americans age 65 and older remains high, at 29.2%, or 16.5 million seniors (diagnosed and undiagnosed).
New cases: 1.2 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year.
Prediabetes: In 2021, 97.6 million Americans age 18 and older had prediabetes.
Diabetes in youth
About 352,000 Americans under age 20 are estimated to have been diagnosed with diabetes, approximately 0.35% of that population. In 2017–2018, the annual incidence of diagnosed diabetes in youth was estimated at 18,200 with type 1 diabetes and 5,300 with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes by race/ethnicity
The rates of diagnosed diabetes in adults by race/ethnic background are:

• 13.6% of American Indians/Alaskan Native adults

• 12.1% of non-Hispanic black adults

• 11.7% of Hispanic adults

• 9.1% of Asian American adults

• 6.9% of non-Hispanic white adults

Common Complications

Living with Type 1 Diabetes involves managing not just daily blood sugar levels but also being vigilant about potential long-term complications. These complications can include cardiovascular disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), kidney damage (nephropathy), eye damage (retinopathy), and foot damage. Awareness and proactive management of Type 1 Diabetes are essential to minimizing these risks and ensuring a healthy, fulfilling life.

Deaths
Diabetes was the eighth leading cause of death in the United States in 2021, based on the 103,294 death certificates in which diabetes was listed as the underlying cause of death. In 2021, diabetes was mentioned as a cause of death in a total of 399,401 certificates.

Cost of Diabetes
$412.9 billion: Total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2022
$306.6 billion was for direct medical costs, $106.3 billion was in indirect costs

After adjusting for population age and sex differences, average medical expenditures among people with diagnosed diabetes were 2.6 times higher than what expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes.