Overview

Diabetes is a chronic condition marked by high levels of glucose in the blood. The main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2 and gestational. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form, and is largely preventable by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Latest findings

Diabetes contributed to 11% of Australian deaths in 2017 (17,000 deaths) (underlying or associated cause) Type 2 diabetes accounts for over half of all diabetes deaths (underlying or associated cause) Women with gestational diabetes experienced higher intervention rates for labour and delivery Type 2 diabetes and type 1 diabetes accounted for 2.2% and 0.3% of Australia's disease burden in 2015 An estimated 1.2 million (6%) Australian adults had diabetes in 2017–18, based on self-reported data Diabetes death and hospitalisation rates in Remote and very remote areas were two-times the rate in Major cities In 2016–17, gestational diabetes affected 15% of all women aged 15–49 who gave birth in hospital—over 40,800 women Women with gestational diabetes were more likely to be diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and hypertension In 2016–17, 32% of women with gestational diabetes received insulin treatment The incidence of gestational diabetes increased with the level of socioeconomic disadvantage Women aged 45–49 were 4 times as likely to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes as women aged 15–19 Over 1 million hospitalisations were associated with diabetes in 2016–17 (principal and/or additional diagnosis) Socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with higher diabetes (prevalence, hospitalisation and death) rates In 2016–17, over half (56%) of women with gestational diabetes managed the condition without medication

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Highlights

1 in 17 Australian adults (6%)—about 1.2 million people—had diabetes in 2017–18, based on self-reported data
Just over 1 in 10Australian deaths in 2017 had diabetes as an underlying and/or associated cause of death—17,000 deaths
Indigenous Australians were 4 times as likely to have type 2 diabetes prevalence, hospitalisation and death rates as non-Indigenous Australians
Remote and very remoteareas had diabetes hospitalisation and death rates that were 2 times as high as Major cities
29,800people started using insulin in 2017 to treat their diabetes
The lowest socioeconomic group had diabetes hospitalisation and death rates that were 2 times as high as the highest socioeconomic group
1.2 millionhospitalisations were associated with diabetes (principal and/or additional diagnosis) in 2016–17—10% of all hospitalisations in Australia
Type 2 diabeteswas the 12th largest contributor to Australia’s disease burden in 2015 (2.2% of total burden)