South and Central America

Diabetes report 2000 — 2045

Estimates were made for 19 countries and territories in the IDF South and Central America (SACA) Region. Estimates for diabetes prevalence in adults aged 20-79 years were taken from 27 data sources from 16 countries. Only Brazil and Chile had studies completed within the past five years.

IDF projects that the number of people with diabetes in SACA Region will increase 48% reaching 49 million by 2045 and the prevalence of diabetes will increase 25% reaching 11.9% in 2045. In 2021, 65.3 billion USD was spent on diabetes in SACA Region, representing 6.7% of the total spent worldwide.

Key Messages

Roughly 32 million adults aged 20–79 years are living with diabetes in the IDF South and Central America Region. This represents more than 9% of the regional population in this age group.

42% (13 million) of adults aged 20–79 years with diabetes are undiagnosed.

34 million adults aged 20–79 years have impaired glucose tolerance, 10% of the regional population in this age group.

Over 127,000 children and adolescents under the age of 20 have type 1 diabetes in the South and Central America Region.

44% of deaths due to diabetes in the South and Central America Region occur in people under the age of 60 years.

At a glance	2000	2011	2021	2030	2045
Diabetes estimates (20-79 y)
People with diabetes, in 1,000s	8,553.3	25,121.5	32,497.1	40,000.0	49,000.0
Age-adjusted comparative prevalence of diabetes, %	3.7	9.2	8.2	9.2	9.9
People with undiagnosed diabetes, in 1,000s	-	-	10,671.5	-	-
Proportion of people with undiagnosed diabetes, %	-	-	32.8	-	-

International Diabetes Federation