England: distribution of individuals with type 2 diabetes 2022/23, by age

Type 2 diabetes is a condition that affects the amount of sugar in a person’s bloodstream and causes it to become too high. This type of diabetes can be caused by risk factors such as obesity and inactivity and, as shown in this figure, type 2 diabetes is more common among older individuals. Between 2022 and 2023, of those registered with type 2 diabetes in England, 43.9 percent were aged between 40 and 64 years.

Increasing prevalence of diabetes in England

Between 2022 and 2023, there were over 3.7 million people in England who were registered as diabetics. The number of individuals registered with diabetes in England has increased year-on-year since 2008. The vast majority of those registered with diabetes in England are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, with over 3.4 million, while approximately 269 thousand living with type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes medication

By far the most used drug in England for the treatment of diabetes was metformin hydrochloride with over 24 million items used in 2022 alone. Additionally, already in 2018 approximately five percent of all prescribed drugs in primary care in England were for the treatment of diabetes. The share of prescribed diabetes drugs has steadily increased since 2005.