In 2022, the age-standardized prevalence of diabetes (Fasting blood glucose≥7.0 mmol/L or ) in adults aged 18 years and older in the Region of the Americas was 13.1%, equivalent to 112 million people living with diabetes. This figure increased by 85% from 7.1%1990 to 13.1% in 2022.
This data visualization allows you to explore the levels and trends of the prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 18 years and older and 30 years and older, as well as estimates of the diabetes treatment coverage across countries of the Americas from 1990 to 2022.
DATA CLASSIFICATION
Data are presented in five discrete classes created using the quantile classification method in the map and horizontal bar chart. Each class contains 20% of countries, which is easy to interpret. The quintile classes are labeled sequentially from Q1 as the first quintile including the lowest fifth (1% to 20%) of the data to Q5, the fifth quintile representing the class with the highest fifth (81% to 100%) of the data.
INDICATOR DEFINITION
Indicator name: Prevalence of diabetes
Data type: Percentage
Topic: Risk factors
Definition: Percentage of people aged 18 years and over with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥7 mmol/l (126 mg/dl), or glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/mol), or on glucose-lowering medication for diabetes.
Disaggregation: Age, Sex, Year, Country
Method of measurement: Estimated from population-based surveys as follows:
Numerator: number of respondents with FPG ≥7.0 mmol/L, or HbA1c ≥6.5%, or taking medication for diabetes
Denominator: total number of respondents
Method of estimation:
Population-representative studies with measurements of fasting glucose and/or glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and information on diabetes treatment were compiled. In studies with data on both FPG and HbA1c, treated diabetes was added to the prevalence of untreated diabetes based on the definition above. In studies with data on one biomarker only, participants whose measured biomarker was elevated were considered to have diabetes. For the remainder of the sample, who neither used treatment nor had elevated level of the measured biomarker, regressions were used to estimate the probability of having an elevated level of the second (unmeasured) biomarker.
Data were pooled using a Bayesian hierarchical meta-regression model to estimate diabetes prevalence.
Age-standardized estimates are produced by applying the age-specific estimates to the WHO Standard Population.
Full details of input data and methods are described in the following technical documents:
- NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC). Worldwide trends in diabetes prevalence and treatment from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 1108 population-representative studies with 141 million participants. Lancet 2024. Available online at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)02317-1.
- Methodological Notes. NMH Data Portal. Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH), Pan American Health Organization
Preferred data sources: Population-based surveys
Other possible data sources: Surveillance systems
Comment: For any comparison over time or with other populations, age standardization is recommended.
Limitations:
Data are not available for every country and year, and not all available data are nationally representative. Some studies only measured FPG or only measured HbA1c, and regressions were used to estimate how many people would have been identified with the unmeasured biomarker. A Bayesian hierarchical model is used to estimate prevalence for all country-years.