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

An estimated 1.2 million Australians (4.9% of the total population) had diabetes in 2017–18, based on self-reported data An estimated 1.2 million Australians (4.9% of the total population) had diabetes in 2017–18, based on self-reported data Socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with higher diabetes (prevalence, hospitalisation and death) rates Type 2 diabetes and type 1 diabetes accounted for 2.2% and 0.3% of Australia’s disease burden respectively in 2015 In 2018, about 31,300 people began using insulin to treat their diabetes in Australia. Diabetes death and hospitalisation rates in Remote and very remote areas were two-times the rate in Major cities Just over 2,800 people were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes—12 cases per 100,000 population. Around 1.2 million hospitalisations were associated with diabetes in 2017–18 (principal and/or additional diagnosis) 1,700 (60%) people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes were aged under 25. 17,000 people started insulin to manage their type 2 diabetes—4,200 cases per 100,000 people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes contributed to 11% of Australian deaths in 2018 (16,700 deaths) (underlying or associated cause)

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Highlights

1 in 20 Australian adults (5%)—about 1.2 million people—had diabetes in 2017–18, based on self-reported data
Just over 1 in 10Australian deaths in 2018 had diabetes as an underlying or associated cause of death—16,700 deaths
Indigenous Australians were around 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 at least 2 times as high as Major cities
31,300people started using insulin in 2018 to treat their diabetes
The lowest socioeconomic areas had diabetes hospitalisation and death rates that were 2 times as high as the highest socioeconomic areas
1.2 millionhospitalisations were associated with diabetes (principal and/or additional diagnosis) in 2017–18—11% of all hospitalisations in Australia
Type 2 diabeteswas the 12th largest contributor to Australia’s disease burden in 2015 (2.2% of total burden)