Pakistan’s annual expenditure on diabetes care has increased from $2.6 billion to $2.7 billion over the past four years, placing an estimated Rs760 billion burden on the country’s healthcare system and economy, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas 2025.
The latest report reveals that Pakistan now has 34.5 million adults aged between 20 and 79 living with diabetes, making it the country with the fourth-highest number of diabetics after China, India, and the United States. Projections indicate the situation could worsen sharply, with diabetic cases expected to rise to 70.2 million by 2050 if preventive measures are not taken.
Despite the growing burden, Pakistan’s per capita spending on diabetes remains among the world’s lowest, with only $79 spent annually per patient. This low spending leaves a significant portion of diabetics without proper treatment and increases the risk of financial hardships due to healthcare costs.
The IDF report further highlights that Pakistan has the highest age-standardised prevalence rate of diabetes globally at 31.4 percent, compared to a much lower global average. Around 26.9 percent of diabetics in the country—roughly 9.3 million people—remain undiagnosed, raising concerns about potential complications like heart disease, kidney failure, amputations, and blindness.
Diabetes is also responsible for approximately 230,000 deaths each year in Pakistan. The report additionally notes that one in five live births is now affected by hyperglycemia during pregnancy, posing long-term health risks for mothers and infants.
