Alarming Diabetes Statistics in Canada
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Prevalence: Over 1 in 10 Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes. That’s more than 3.7 million people, and the number is rising every year. By 2025, it’s expected that over 5 million Canadians will have diabetes.
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New Cases: Between 2011 and 2022, Canada saw over 2.16 million new cases of diabetes. The risk of developing diabetes in a 10-year period for Canadians aged 20 and over is nearly 10%—and even higher for men at 11.2% source.
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Economic Burden: The cost of treating diabetes in Canada has nearly doubled in the last 15 years. In 2008, the national cost was $14 billion. By 2024, it’s just under $30 billion per year source.
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Provincial Costs: In 2023, Ontario alone spent $1.7 billion on diabetes treatment. British Columbia spent $583 million, and Alberta $514 million. Even smaller provinces like Nova Scotia spent $116 million source.
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Personal Cost: For individuals, the out-of-pocket cost of managing diabetes can be staggering. For a Canadian adult with a family income of $30,000, diabetes-related expenses (including medications, insulin, and glucose monitoring) can eat up to 17% of their income source.
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Healthcare System Impact: Acute hospitalizations account for the largest share of diabetes-related healthcare spending—over 43% of the total cost. Physician services, prescription medications, and home care also make up significant portions source.
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Complications: Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputations in Canada. People with diabetes are three times more likely to be hospitalized with cardiovascular disease and 12 times more likely to be hospitalized with end-stage renal disease.