Written By: N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe | Updated : January 14, 2026 5:35 PM IST
Researchers from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria shared new findings that diabetes has become India's biggest economic burden, while the United States stood in first spots and China in third.
The study released in the Journal Nature Medicine estimated the economic impact of diabetes across 204 countries from 2020 to 2050. The findings show India's total projected cost accumulates to USD 11.4 trillion over the 30 years. Explaining reasons why diabetes treatments are sky-high expensive, Klaus Prettner, professor of macroeconomics and digitalisation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, said, "Caregivers often drop out of the labour market, at least partially, which creates additional economic costs."
"The United States faces the largest economic burden of diabetes mellitus at INT$ 2.5 trillion, followed by India at INT$ 1.6 trillion and China at INT$ 1.0 trillion. When considering informal care loss, the largest economic burdens are INT$ 16.5 trillion in the United States, INT$ 11.4 trillion in India and INT$ 11.0 trillion in China," It stated.
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that occurs when your pancreas does not produce enough insulin or your body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), India estimates about 77 million people who suffer from diabetes, whereas nearly 25 million are battling prediabetes. What is more concerning about the scenario is that 50% of people are unaware of their diabetic status, which can lead to serious health complications if it's left untreated or not detected.
Some of the most prevalent risks associated with diabetes include heart attack and stroke. Other complications that are linked to diabetes include reduced blood flow, neuropathy, which is nerve damage in the feet, increasing your chance of foot ulcers, infections and eventually leg amputation. Diabetes can also result in blindness, which can be a result of long-term accumulated damage to the small blood vessels. Including kidney failure.
The Centence for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes have similar symptoms, including:
Symptoms that are particularly noticed by type 1 diabetes are nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Whereas, people with type 2 diabetes experience wounds and cuts slowly healing, dark skin patches around the arms, necks, etc, including numbing and tingling in the hands are feets.
There are several ways you can manage or reduce your risk of developing diabetes. It includes your diet, which plays a very crucial role in diabetes management. Following these simple healthy eating tips can protect you from all chronic diseases, including diabetes:
