Who Gets Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is more common in older people, especially in people who are overweight, and occurs more often in African Americans, American Indians, some Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos.

1. •Age 20 years or older: 23.5 million, or 10.7 percent, of all people in this age group have diabetes.

2. •Age 60 years or older: 12.2 million, or 23.1 percent, of all people in this age group have diabetes.

3. •Men: 12.0 million, or 11.2 percent, of all men ages 20 years or older have diabetes.

4. •Women: 11.5 million, or 10.2 percent, of all women ages 20 years or older have diabetes.

5. •Non-Hispanic whites: 14.9 million, or 9.8 percent, of all non-Hispanic whites ages 20 years or older have diabetes.

6. •Non-Hispanic blacks: 3.7 million, or 14.7 percent, of all non-Hispanic blacks ages 20 years or older have diabetes.

Diabetes prevalence in the United States is likely to increase for several reasons. First, a large segment of the population is aging. Also, Hispanics/Latinos and other minority groups at increased risk make up the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. Finally, Americans are increasingly overweight and sedentary. According to recent estimates from the CDC, diabetes will affect one in three people born in 2000 in the United States. The CDC also projects that the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the United States will increase 165 percent by 2050.