Diabetes: a 23 per cent increase over the last 20 years, affecting 3.8 million Italians

Around 3.8 million Italians live with diabetes, accounting for 6.4 per cent of the total population and 7.5 per cent of the adult population. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form, accounting for over 90 per cent of cases. The figures, contained in the 19th Italian Barometer Diabetes Report 2026 – compiled by researchers from the Ibdo Foundation, Istat, Coresearch, the Bhave Health Ecosystem Institute, the Observatory on Health as a Common Good and the Planetary Health Inner Circle, and presented to the Senate in Rome – indicate a steady upward trend: the prevalence of diabetes rose from 4.2 per cent in 2005 to 5.4 per cent in 2015, reaching 6.4 per cent by 2025. Over 20 years, the increase amounts to 52 per cent in raw terms and remains significant even when adjusted for population ageing, with a rise of 23 per cent. And then there is the impact of this ‘silent’ disease, which is not captured by the statistics: over 1 million people are thought to have diabetes without realising it.

A condition that mainly affects the South: among people aged 45 and over, the report states, the national average prevalence is 10.3 per cent, but rises to 12.9 per cent in the South, compared with 8.7 per cent in the North and 9.7 per cent in the Centre. Furthermore, diabetes also affects the most socially disadvantaged groups to a greater extent. In the 45–64 age group, the prevalence is 5.9 per cent amongst people with a low level of education, compared with 3.7 per cent amongst those with at least a school-leaving certificate. Among the over-65s, the figures are 21.8 per cent and 15.8 per cent respectively. Finally, the management of diabetes still faces significant obstacles in the organisation of care. According to the research, 48 per cent of patients cite waiting times and waiting lists as among the main barriers, whilst 43 per cent report organisational difficulties.

“Diabetes, as we know, is now one of the most widespread chronic conditions in Italia,” emphasises the Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, in the foreword to the report. “It is a silent disease, but one that has a profound impact on patients’ lives and on the sustainability of the National Health Service. Like all chronic non-communicable diseases, diabetes also requires policies capable of promoting health and tackling the main modifiable risk factors through an integrated approach that takes account of different contexts and stages of life.”

This is also because diabetes is not an isolated condition. After the age of 45, it is more frequently associated with many chronic conditions. Of particular significance is the link with cardiovascular risk, which affects over 9 million Italians, resulting in around 206,000 deaths a year and causing an estimated annual economic burden of 42 billion euros. Among people with diabetes monitored by diabetes centres, 15.2 per cent already have a history of cardiovascular disease; furthermore, more than one in two report a diagnosis of high blood pressure. “Managing blood glucose, blood pressure, lipids, body weight and smoking must therefore form part of a coordinated approach involving healthcare professionals and services” stressed the experts speaking at the event organised by Senator Daniela Sbrollini in collaboration with the Parliamentary Intergroup on Obesity, Diabetes and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases and the University of Rome Tor Vergata, with an unconditional contribution from Novo.

Paolo Sbraccia, president of the Ibdo Foundation, states: “Diabetology is undergoing a profound transformation. Blood glucose control remains fundamental, but today the objective is broader: to prevent complications, protect organs and manage cardiovascular, renal and metabolic risk in an integrated manner over the long term. Scientific evidence shows that therapeutic innovation can offer significant benefits beyond glycaemic control, helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, strokes, renal complications and the progression of peripheral artery disease, as well as improving functional capacity. It is therefore essential to promote an increasingly integrated therapeutic approach, focused on cardio-renal protection and on tangibly improving the quality of life of people with diabetes.”