Diabetes in Europe - Statistics & Facts
Diabetes is a chronic disease which causes high blood sugar levels due to the body not being able to produce insulin or to adequately use the insulin it produces. 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. Furthermore, the prevalence of diabetics worldwide is forecast to increase in the coming decades and reach 12.2 percent of the population by 2045. While type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, 95 percent of people with diabetes are affected by type 2 diabetes, for which age, poor eating habits, and a sedentary lifestyle are relevant risk factors. In 2021, in over half of European countries, more than 30 percent of the population had an insufficient physical activity level, while consumption of soft drinks totaled 98 liters per capita in 2022.
