Diabetes is a growing health challenge worldwide, including Australia and New Zealand—especially for First Nations peoples.

Globally, 589 million adults—1 in every 9—now live with diabetes. That’s more people than ever before, and experts predict this number will rise by 45% to 853 million adults by 2050 as populations grow and age.

In Australia, more than 1.3 million people have diabetes, with over 300 new cases diagnosed every day—1 person every 5 minutes. It’s our fastest-growing long-term health condition, outpacing even heart disease and cancer.

In 2024, diabetes caused 3.4 million deaths—1 every 9 seconds—making it a true global epidemic.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face much higher risks. They are three times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, 4.3 times more likely to be hospitalised because of it, and four times more likely to die from diabetes-related causes compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Alarmingly, 1 in 5 cases in these communities goes undiagnosed.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, diabetes affects around 4.7% of the population (approximately 228,000 people) and is growing rapidly—about 7% per year—with numbers expected to nearly double to over 500,000 by the 2040s.

Māori experience a disproportionate burden, with rates around 2.5 times higher than the national average (7.5%), while Pacific Island peoples face even higher risk at 15.1%. Māori living with type 2 diabetes also have nearly double the death rates from all causes and heart disease compared to non-Māori, along with higher rates of hospitalisation and serious complications.

Key facts

• 1 person dies from diabetes every 9 seconds, on average, worldwide
• 1 Australian is diagnosed with diabetes every 5 minutes
• New Zealand has seen a 90% increase in the number of diabetes cases, and numbers continue to climb