Spain is the second country in Europe with the highest number of people affected by diabetes, only behind Germany, according to the data of the Diabetes Atlas report of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF, according to its acronym in English).
However, the data related to the Bavarian country, which has a 10%prevalence percentage, have improved since 2019, since before it had more than 9 million people with diabetes and had a prevalence of 15.3%.
In the case of Spain, this figure has increased by 42% or since 2019, when it was 10.5% and the number of people suffering from this pathology did not reach 4 million.Since then, that figure has increased to almost 6 million;although in 2025 it could reach 9,000,000 affected.
prevalence
In the case of the data corresponding to the European continent, they have also been increased.Four years ago the average prevalence was 8.9% and the number of people with diabetes was 59 million.
"They are worrying data, since, today, both the people who debut and those who already suffer the pathology, do not receive the diabetological formation they need to have adequate control of it," they have highlighted from the Spanish Federation ofDiabetes (Fede).
Fede has claimed this tool as the best option for diabetes patients to have a greater knowledge of their own diabetes, being able to avoid up to 25,000 premature deaths annually in Spain.
«It is important that those affected by diabetes are aware that they suffer from this pathology and, following this, know that they should receive the proper diabetological formation that they need, from the moment of the debut, and thus be able to have their diabetes under control.This diabetological education, in addition, has to be taught by properly prepared health professionals, ”said Fede President Juan Francisco Perán.
People affected by diabetes in the world continue to increase their number;being currently 537 million affected people.Of these, more than 61 million live in the European continent, being their age range between 20 and 79 years.
The average prevalence of diabetes in Europe is 9.2%, according to this report.This data is less than that of Spain, which is 14.8%, and which places it between the states with the highest prevalence of the continent, above others such as Portugal (13%), Italy (9.9%), France(8.6%) or United Kingdom (8.2%).
sanitary spending
Fede warns that the increase in the prevalence of the pathology has an impact, in addition to the quality of life of the people who suffer, in health spending, which in Spain has a cost of 5,809 million euros a year.
According to disease growth forecasts, this figure will increase.The economic burden of diabetes in Spain corresponds to 8.2% of the total national health budget, taking into account both direct and indirect costs.
Compared to Europe, and according to the study data by the IDF, Spain has an average expense of 2,817 euros per person, an amount less than the average of the continent, which is 2,893 euros, despite being the second country withmore affected in Europe.
On this situation, Juan Francisco Perán has indicated that it is "an expense that could be reduced if patients with diabetes received, by the public administration, a correct diabetological education about their pathology."