Type 1 diabetes could affect 2.7 million more people by 2049
Research due to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Milan estimates that 12.1 million people could be living with type 1 diabetes worldwide by 2049, up from 9.4 million in 2025. That means around 2.7 million additional people — a 29 per cent rise.
By 2049, an estimated 12.1 million individuals worldwide could be living with type 1 diabetes, a significant increase from the 9.4 million projected in 2025, according to research to be presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting in Milan. This rise corresponds to a 29% surge in the number of people with the condition, from about 530,000 in 2025 to over 605,000 by 2049.
The distribution of this increase is not uniform; wealthier nations like the UK and the United States are anticipated to host a substantial portion of the additional cases, with their respective numbers expected to climb from 314,000 to over 420,000 and from nearly 1.5 million to more than 2 million.
Conversely, poorer countries may face a disproportionate rise in new cases per year. For instance, Tanzania could see an almost doubling of annual new cases by 2049. This disparity highlights a pressing need for better access to insulin and blood sugar monitoring, which could enable more individuals to survive and lead longer lives with the condition.
Children and teenagers aged under 20 are projected to account for 42% of new cases globally in 2025, with this proportion being even higher in low-income countries. The study underscores a critical message: as the global population of those with type 1 diabetes expands, so too must the availability of affordable insulin and high-quality care.
In regions where reliable information is limited, particularly in poorer settings, enhancing diagnosis, treatment, and long-term support could be the decisive factor between merely registering cases and actually saving lives.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Star BD Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
