Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Diabetes in Italy - Statistics & Facts
Worldwide the number of people diagnosed with diabetes is rising, with 643 million of adults predicted to have diabetes by 2030. This increase appears more pronounced in low- and middle-income countries. Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by the presence of high blood glucose levels, especially harming nerves and blood vessels. In recent years diabetes has been recognized as one of the main health concerns worldwide as it has become one of the leading causes of death. While type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, 95 percent of people are affected by type 2 diabetes, for which age, poor eating habits, and a sedentary lifestyle are relevant risk factors. As of 2023, almost 3.7 million individuals were suffering from diabetes in Italy, with most of them 75 years or older.
Demographics and risk factors
The share of individuals with diabetes grows with age. As a matter of fact, a steep increase can be observed in Italy for the age groups 65-74 years and 75 years and older, with a prevalence of 15.5 and 20 percent, respectively. Considering the general Italian population, females are slightly less affected by this disease in terms of prevalence, especially when considering women aged less than 75 years. On the other hand, when considering the obese population, the prevalence of diabetes among obese females in Italy has reached 16.9 percent as of 2021, while for obese male individuals the share of diabetics was around 14.1 percent. When considering people with a physically inactive lifestyle, the prevalence of diabetes among male individuals with a sedentary lifestyle was also slightly lower than among females, with 11.3 percent of sedentary males diagnosed with diabetes, compared to 12.3 percent of females.Regional differences
Southern regions and islands in Italy have the highest prevalence of diabetes, reaching over seven percent. This figure explains the higher per capita expenditure on antidiabetic drugs in southern Italian regions and islands, which reached almost 25 euros per capita in 2022. Conversely, between 2021 and 2022, the region of Aosta Valley was the one with the highest share of diabetics. Diabetes type 2 may not be diagnosed until many years after it begins, leading to serious complications and eventually death.
