Pakistan is one of the 21 countries in the IDF Middle East and North Africa region. It has the highest diabetes rate in the world among adults aged 20–79 and also ranks fourth in the total number of adults living with diabetes. In short, Pakistan tops the global list for diabetes prevalence.
On World Diabetes Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of Pakistan highlighted that 34.5 million people in the country are affected, meaning 1 in every 3 adults has diabetes. Pakistan now carries the highest percentage of diabetes cases worldwide and accounts for more than 40% of all estimated cases in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Nearly 4 out of 10 people with diabetes in the region don’t know they have it, which puts them at risk of serious complications like blindness, kidney disease, heart attacks, strokes, and even limb amputations.
In 2024, Pakistan had an adult population of about 130 million, and the country faced a very high diabetes burden. Around 31.4% of adults were living with diabetes, meaning nearly 34.5 million people were affected. This makes Pakistan one of the countries with the highest diabetes prevalence in the world.
Diabetes rates:
---Advertisement---1. 🇵🇰Pakistan: 30.8%
2. 🇰🇼Kuwait: 24.9%
8. 🇪🇬Egypt: 20.9%
10. 🇶🇦Qatar: 19.5%
12. 🇲🇾Malaysia: 19%
14. 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia: 18.7%
17. 🇲🇽Mexico: 16.9%
26. 🇹🇷Turkey: 14.5%
27. 🇧🇩Bangladesh: 14.2%
48. 🇱🇰Sri Lanka: 11.3%
53. 🇿🇦South Africa: 10.8%
54. 🇮🇶Iraq: 10.7%
55.…— World of Statistics (@stats_feed) November 28, 2025
Type 1 diabetes increasing in India
India is seeing a worrying rise in Type 1 diabetes among children and teenagers. Doctors and pediatric specialists say the number of cases is steadily increasing. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), India now has the highest number of children with Type 1 diabetes in the world. Meanwhile, India ranks 64th overall in the global list of diabetes prevalence. With November observed as National Diabetes Awareness Month, the data highlights the urgent need for more research, early diagnosis, affordable insulin, and long-term care for young patients.
What is Type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is different from the more common Type 2. It happens when the immune system attacks and destroys the pancreas’s insulin-producing cells, causing high blood sugar levels.
People with Type 1 diabetes need lifelong insulin, regular blood sugar monitoring, and careful diet planning. Currently, around 9.6% of diabetes cases in India are among children and adolescents.
Type 1 diabetes symptoms
- Sudden bedwetting in a child who was previously toilet-trained
- Unexplained weight loss even with increased appetite
- Excessive thirst and frequent urination
- Persistent fatigue and low energy levels
From childhood to old age, our diet, physical activity, and mental well-being play a key role in determining our health and resilience. For adolescents, this means growing up in environments that encourage healthy habits and give them the tools to manage their own health. By implementing health-focused policies in schools and communities and actively involving young people, we can help every generation live longer, healthier lives and reduce the risk of diabetes.
