People Affected
While diabetes occurs in people of all ages and races, some groups have a higher risk of developing the disease than others.
Diabetes is more common in African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.
Diabetes among African Americans
- Approximately 3.7 million or 14.7% of all African Americans aged 20 or older have diabetes.
- African Americans are 1.6 times as likely to have diabetes than non-Hispanic whites.
- One in four African American women over 55 years of age has diabetes.
- 25% of African Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have diabetes.
Diabetes among Latino Americans
- Two million or 10.4% of all Latino Americans have diabetes.
- Among Latino Americans, approximately 11.9% Mexican Americans, 12.6% of Puerto Ricans, and 11.9% of Cubans over 20 years old have diabetes.
Diabetes among Men & Women
- Approximately 12 million or 11.2% of all men over the age of 20 in the United States have diabetes.
- Approximately 11.5 million or 10.2% of all women over the age of 20 in the United States have diabetes.
Diabetes among Native Americans
- 16.5% of the total adult population of Native Americans and Alaska Natives receiving care from the Indian Health Services have diabetes.
Diabetes among Seniors
- The risk for Type 2 diabetes increases with age. 12.2 million or 23.1% of Americans over age 60 have diabetes.
Diabetes among Young People
Pre-Diabetes
- 2 million adolescents (or 1 in 6 overweight adolescents) aged 12-19 years have pre-diabetes.
Type 1
- Approximately 1 in every 400-600 children and adolescents has Type 1 diabetes.
- Non-hispanic white youth have the highest rate of new cases of Type 1 diabetes.
Type 2
- Alarming upward trend because of an increased incidence in obesity.
- Commonly occurs if the youth has a family history of Type 2 diabetes.
