Diabetes in America: A Growing Epidemic
Diabetes in America: Latest CDC Data on Prevalence, Prediabetes and Cost
Diabetes is one of the largest chronic-disease burdens in the United States, but the strongest evidence comes from measured public-health data rather than broad projections. The latest CDC National Diabetes Statistics Report lists 40.1 million people with diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes in 2023, equal to 12.0% of the U.S. population. The same CDC snapshot estimates 115.2 million adults with prediabetes, the largest group at elevated future risk.
The figures below use a latest-available-data edition. National counts come from the CDC report updated in January 2026, adult prevalence patterns come from NHANES data covering August 2021 through August 2023, and economic burden figures come from the American Diabetes Association’s 2022 cost study. These periods are not identical, so the page treats the evidence as a current official snapshot rather than a single-year forecast.
Data basis: latest official snapshot and peer-reviewed cost estimate. Core periods: CDC 2023 national estimates, NHANES August 2021–August 2023 adult prevalence, ADA 2022 cost estimate. Units: people, percent of relevant population, and U.S. dollars.
Summary cards: the latest national diabetes picture
Overview: why the burden remains high
Diabetes is not captured by one number. The national burden includes diagnosed disease, undiagnosed disease, prediabetes, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, pregnancy-related diabetes risk and long-term complications. Each part requires a different response: screening for people who do not know they have diabetes, prevention for adults with prediabetes, treatment access for diagnosed patients, and complication management for people already affected by cardiovascular, kidney, eye or nerve damage.
The current evidence does not support a dramatic one-year claim. It supports a more durable conclusion: diabetes is already widespread, expensive and unevenly distributed. NHANES data for August 2021–August 2023 show total diabetes prevalence of 15.8% among adults aged 20 and older, with higher prevalence among men, older adults, adults with obesity and adults with lower educational attainment.
This matters for hospitals, employers, insurers, families and state health systems because diabetes often overlaps with hypertension, kidney disease, cardiovascular risk and obesity. Long-term costs rise when elevated glucose remains undetected or when treatment is delayed until complications appear.
Important limitation: CDC national counts, NHANES adult prevalence and ADA cost estimates come from different data systems and reference periods. They should be read together as a latest available evidence picture, not as a single survey year.
10 key official indicators of diabetes in the United States
The table below highlights the most useful national indicators for understanding the U.S. diabetes burden. It is not a ranked table, because the measures use different units and populations. Each row is embedded directly in HTML and remains readable without JavaScript.
| Indicator | Latest value | Population / scope | Period / data type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with prediabetes | 115.2 million | Adults aged 18+ | 2023 CDC snapshot |
| Total diabetes | 40.1 million | Diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes, all ages | 2023 CDC snapshot |
| Diagnosed diabetes | 29.1 million | All ages | 2023 CDC snapshot |
| Undiagnosed diabetes | 11.0 million | Adults aged 18+ | 2023 CDC snapshot |
| Prediabetes among older adults | 31.3 million | People aged 65+ | 2023 CDC snapshot |
| Diagnosed type 1 diabetes | 2.1 million | All ages | 2023 CDC snapshot |
| Population share with diabetes | 12.0% | Total U.S. population | 2023 CDC snapshot |
| Adult total diabetes | 15.8% | Adults aged 20+, diagnosed and undiagnosed | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes among adults with obesity | 24.2% | Adults aged 20+ | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes | $412.9 billion | Direct medical costs plus indirect costs | ADA cost study, 2022 |
Table shows 10 selected national indicators. Counts, percentages and cost estimates use different units and should not be added together. The table is a latest available data edition, not a 2026 forecast.
Chart: adult diabetes prevalence by age and weight status
Adult prevalence is not evenly distributed. NHANES data show a clear age gradient and a strong association with weight status. The chart below is built with HTML and CSS, without external libraries or JavaScript, so it remains visible in Elementor even when scripts are disabled.
Total diabetes prevalence among selected U.S. adult groups, August 2021–August 2023
Values are percentages of U.S. adults in each group with total diabetes, including diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes. Source period: NHANES, August 2021 through August 2023. Bar widths are scaled to a 30% axis maximum.
Methodology: how the data were selected and interpreted
The national count of people with diabetes, the diagnosed and undiagnosed split, the type 1 diabetes count and the prediabetes count are taken from the CDC National Diabetes Statistics Report page updated on January 21, 2026. Those headline figures refer to a 2023 national estimate and are treated as the latest official snapshot for national burden.
Adult prevalence patterns by sex, age, weight status and education are taken from CDC/NCHS Data Brief No. 516, which reports NHANES data collected from August 2021 through August 2023. These are survey estimates for adults aged 20 and older. Where the measure is labeled total diabetes, it includes both diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes and excludes gestational diabetes.
The economic burden figure comes from the American Diabetes Association study published in Diabetes Care for diagnosed diabetes costs in 2022. Prevention evidence is based on Diabetes Prevention Program materials from NIDDK and CDC-related sources. Values are rounded as presented by the original sources. Percentages are not recalculated from counts because the denominators differ by dataset, year, age group and survey method.
The page does not convert older measurements into a 2026 forecast. Each figure is tied to its published source period, and the interpretation focuses on documented burden, risk distribution and cost rather than unsupported projections.
Interpretation rule: this is a latest available data edition. It should not be described as a 2026 prevalence ranking, and it should not imply that all figures come from the same calendar year.
Main evidence table: U.S. diabetes indicators and population patterns
The evidence table combines national counts, adult prevalence patterns and cost data while identifying the source period for each row. The rows are written directly in HTML so the table remains indexable and readable without scripts.
| Indicator | Value | Population / scope | Period / source type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total diabetes | 40.1 million | Diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes, all ages | CDC, 2023 snapshot |
| Population share with diabetes | 12.0% | Total U.S. population | CDC, 2023 snapshot |
| Diagnosed diabetes | 29.1 million | All ages; includes 28.8 million adults | CDC, 2023 snapshot |
| Undiagnosed diabetes | 11.0 million | Adults aged 18+ with diabetes but not diagnosed | CDC, 2023 snapshot |
| Undiagnosed share | 27.6% | Adults aged 18+ with diabetes | CDC, 2023 snapshot |
| Prediabetes | 115.2 million | Adults aged 18+ | CDC, 2023 snapshot |
| Prediabetes among older adults | 31.3 million | People aged 65+; 52.1% of this age group | CDC, 2023 snapshot |
| Diagnosed type 1 diabetes | 2.1 million | All ages; includes 314,000 children and adolescents | CDC, 2023 snapshot |
| Adult total diabetes | 15.8% | Adults aged 20+, diagnosed and undiagnosed | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Adult diagnosed diabetes | 11.3% | Adults aged 20+ | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Adult undiagnosed diabetes | 4.5% | Adults aged 20+ | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes, men | 18.0% | Men aged 20+ | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes, women | 13.7% | Women aged 20+ | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes, ages 20–39 | 3.6% | Adults aged 20–39 | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes, ages 40–59 | 17.7% | Adults aged 40–59 | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes, ages 60+ | 27.3% | Adults aged 60 and older | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes, underweight or normal weight | 6.8% | Adults aged 20+ | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes, overweight | 12.3% | Adults aged 20+ | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes, obesity | 24.2% | Adults aged 20+ | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes, high school/GED or less | 19.6% | Adults aged 20+ | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Total diabetes, bachelor’s degree or more | 10.7% | Adults aged 20+ | NHANES, Aug. 2021–Aug. 2023 |
| Cost of diagnosed diabetes | $412.9 billion | Direct medical costs plus indirect costs | ADA Diabetes Care study, 2022 |
Main table: 22 rows. Values are presented in the same units used by the source: people, percent of relevant population, or U.S. dollars. Data are latest available official or peer-reviewed estimates, not a single-year forecast.
Insights: what the numbers show beyond the headline
- Prediabetes is the largest warning signal. The 115.2 million adult estimate is almost three times the total diabetes count. It does not mean every adult with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes, but it shows why prevention and routine screening matter before diagnosis.
- Undiagnosed diabetes is a healthcare access and detection gap. CDC’s estimate of 11.0 million undiagnosed adults means many people may already have elevated glucose without treatment, monitoring or complication prevention.
- Age changes the baseline risk. NHANES reports total diabetes prevalence of 3.6% for adults aged 20–39, 17.7% for ages 40–59 and 27.3% for ages 60 and older. Population aging can therefore increase the number of people living with diabetes even when prevention improves.
- Weight status is strongly associated with prevalence, but it is not the whole explanation. Total diabetes prevalence is 24.2% among adults with obesity, compared with 6.8% among adults in the underweight or normal weight category. Age, family history, food environment, income, insurance coverage and access to care also influence outcomes.
- Education differences point to structural risk. NHANES reports 19.6% total diabetes prevalence among adults with a high school degree, GED or less, compared with 10.7% among adults with a bachelor’s degree or more. The gap is consistent with broader differences in income, work conditions, preventive care and healthy food access.
- Cost data explain why diabetes is also an economic issue. The ADA’s $412.9 billion estimate for diagnosed diabetes in 2022 includes medical spending and lost productivity. It does not capture every family-level cost, but it shows why prevention and earlier management affect budgets beyond the healthcare sector.
What it means for readers, families and employers
For individuals, the most practical point is that diabetes risk can often be identified before severe complications appear. Prediabetes, blood pressure, body weight, family history, age and routine lab results can help determine whether follow-up testing or prevention support is needed.
For families, diabetes can become a long-term financial issue. Costs may include doctor visits, lab tests, glucose monitoring, medications, emergency care, missed work and treatment for complications. Prevention programs and consistent primary care are less visible than hospital treatment, but they are central to reducing severe outcomes.
For employers and local health systems, diabetes affects workforce health, productivity and insurance costs. Food access, walkable environments, preventive benefits, medication affordability and chronic-disease management programs can influence whether risk is detected early or becomes a more expensive complication later.
Evidence from the Diabetes Prevention Program shows that structured lifestyle intervention can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes among many high-risk adults. Not every case is preventable, but earlier action can change risk for a large share of people with prediabetes.
FAQ: understanding diabetes data in the United States
Is diabetes still increasing in the United States?
Adult prevalence has increased over the long term. CDC/NCHS reports that age-adjusted total diabetes prevalence among adults aged 20 and older rose from 9.7% in 1999–2000 to 14.3% in August 2021–August 2023. The latest national count remains large, with 40.1 million people estimated to have diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes in 2023.
Why does one source say 12.0% while another says 15.8%?
They measure different populations and periods. The 12.0% figure is a CDC estimate for the total U.S. population in 2023. The 15.8% figure comes from NHANES and refers to adults aged 20 and older during August 2021 through August 2023. Adult-only prevalence is usually higher than all-population prevalence because diabetes is more common at older ages.
What is the difference between diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes?
Diagnosed diabetes means a person has been told by a health professional that they have diabetes. Undiagnosed diabetes refers to survey participants whose lab results meet diabetes criteria but who report no prior diagnosis. Undiagnosed cases matter because complications can develop before treatment begins.
Does prediabetes always become type 2 diabetes?
No. Prediabetes means blood glucose is above normal but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. It raises risk, but progression is not automatic. Structured lifestyle changes, weight loss for people who need it, physical activity and medical follow-up can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes for many high-risk adults.
Why avoid making a simple 2026 diabetes forecast?
The best official figures are not all from 2026 and not all from the same dataset. A reliable interpretation identifies the latest available official period for each measure instead of presenting unsupported forward estimates as facts.
Which number matters most for public-health planning?
There is no single best number. The 40.1 million diabetes estimate shows current burden, the 11.0 million undiagnosed-adult estimate shows a screening gap, and the 115.2 million adult prediabetes estimate shows the future prevention challenge. Together, they are more useful than any one figure alone.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — National Diabetes Statistics Report. Used for 2023 national estimates on total diabetes, diagnosed diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, prediabetes and type 1 diabetes. Page updated January 21, 2026.
- CDC/NCHS Data Brief No. 516 — Prevalence of Total, Diagnosed, and Undiagnosed Diabetes in Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023. Used for adult prevalence by sex, age, weight status, education and long-term trend.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — Diabetes Statistics. Used for official context on diabetes and prediabetes statistics.
- American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Care — Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2022. Used for the $412.9 billion cost estimate, including direct medical costs and indirect costs.
- NIDDK — Diabetes Prevention Program. Used for prevention evidence on structured lifestyle intervention and type 2 diabetes risk reduction among high-risk adults.
