Diabetes Rates in Africa (2026)
Diabetes rates vary widely across Africa, with some countries reporting much higher adult diabetes prevalence than others. This page ranks African countries by estimated diabetes prevalence using the latest available data.
The ranking helps compare where diabetes rates are highest and lowest across Africa, from Egypt, Mauritius, and Sudan near the top to Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe near the bottom.
Diabetes Rates in Africa Rankings
| # | Country | Est. Diabetes Prevention (%) | Global Rank | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇪🇬Egypt |
22.4% | 9 | Africa |
| 2 | 🇲🇺Mauritius |
20.1% | 17 | Africa |
| 3 | 🇸🇩Sudan |
19% | 22 | Africa |
| 4 | 🇩🇿Algeria |
17.5% | 27 | Africa |
| 5 | 🇹🇳Tunisia |
16% | 33 | Africa |
| 6 | 🇱🇾Libya |
15.8% | 34 | Africa |
| 7 | 🇸🇹Sao Tome and Principe |
12.1% | 55 | Africa |
| 8 | 🇲🇦Morocco |
11.9% | 59 | Africa |
| 9 | 🇰🇲Comoros |
10.8% | 69 | Africa |
| 10 | 🇿🇲Zambia |
10.3% | 79 | Africa |
| 11 | 🇹🇿Tanzania |
9.8% | 90 | Africa |
| 12 | 🇸🇨Seychelles |
9.3% | 97 | Africa |
| 13 | 🇱🇷Liberia |
9.2% | 98 | Africa |
| 14 | 🇬🇦Gabon |
8.5% | 106 | Africa |
| 15 | 🇬🇶Equatorial Guinea |
8.2% | 110 | Africa |
| 16 | 🇧🇯Benin |
8.1% | 112 | Africa |
| 17 | 🇨🇬Congo |
8.1% | 113 | Africa |
| 18 | 🇸🇿Eswatini |
7.9% | 118 | Africa |
| 19 | 🇨🇩DR Congo |
7.7% | 121 | Africa |
| 20 | 🇨🇫Central African Republic |
7.6% | 129 | Africa |
| 21 | 🇹🇩Chad |
7.3% | 140 | Africa |
| 22 | 🇿🇦South Africa |
7.2% | 141 | Africa |
| 23 | 🇨🇲Cameroon |
6.9% | 147 | Africa |
| 24 | 🇨🇻Cape Verde |
6.8% | 153 | Africa |
| 25 | 🇩🇯Djibouti |
6.5% | 159 | Africa |
| 26 | 🇱🇸Lesotho |
6.2% | 163 | Africa |
| 27 | 🇸🇴Somalia |
5.8% | 167 | Africa |
| 28 | 🇲🇼Malawi |
5.7% | 170 | Africa |
| 29 | 🇬🇲Gambia |
5.5% | 172 | Africa |
| 30 | 🇳🇦Namibia |
5.3% | 175 | Africa |
| 31 | 🇲🇷Mauritania |
5.2% | 176 | Africa |
| 32 | 🇨🇮Ivory Coast |
5% | 178 | Africa |
| 33 | 🇦🇴Angola |
4.9% | 181 | Africa |
| 34 | 🇲🇱Mali |
4.8% | 183 | Africa |
| 35 | 🇹🇬Togo |
4.8% | 184 | Africa |
| 36 | 🇸🇱Sierra Leone |
4.8% | 185 | Africa |
| 37 | 🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau |
4.8% | 187 | Africa |
| 38 | 🇲🇬Madagascar |
4.6% | 188 | Africa |
| 39 | 🇬🇳Guinea |
4.6% | 189 | Africa |
| 40 | 🇸🇸South Sudan |
4.6% | 190 | Africa |
| 41 | 🇧🇼Botswana |
4.6% | 191 | Africa |
| 42 | 🇾🇹Mayotte |
4.6% | 192 | Africa |
| 43 | 🇧🇫Burkina Faso |
4.5% | 194 | Africa |
| 44 | 🇪🇹Ethiopia |
4.4% | 195 | Africa |
| 45 | 🇪🇷Eritrea |
4.4% | 196 | Africa |
| 46 | 🇧🇮Burundi |
4.3% | 197 | Africa |
| 47 | 🇳🇪Niger |
4.1% | 199 | Africa |
| 48 | 🇸🇳Senegal |
3.8% | 200 | Africa |
| 49 | 🇰🇪Kenya |
3.1% | 205 | Africa |
| 50 | 🇳🇬Nigeria |
3% | 206 | Africa |
| 51 | 🇲🇿Mozambique |
3% | 207 | Africa |
| 52 | 🇬🇭Ghana |
2.7% | 208 | Africa |
| 53 | 🇺🇬Uganda |
2.2% | 209 | Africa |
| 54 | 🇷🇼Rwanda |
2.1% | 210 | Africa |
| 55 | 🇿🇼Zimbabwe |
1.5% | 211 | Africa |
Key Findings
Egypt Has the Highest Diabetes Rate in Africa
- Egypt ranks #1 in Africa with an estimated diabetes prevalence of 22.4%.
- It is followed by Mauritius (20.1%), Sudan (19.0%), Algeria (17.5%), and Tunisia (16.0%).
North African Countries Rank Relatively High
- Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Morocco all appear in the upper part of Africa’s diabetes prevalence ranking.
- This shows that several North African countries report higher diabetes prevalence than much of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Island Countries Show Mixed Results
- Mauritius (20.1%) ranks very high, while Seychelles (9.3%), Cape Verde (6.8%), and Madagascar (4.6%) sit lower in the ranking.
- This suggests diabetes prevalence varies widely among African island countries and territories.
Several East African Countries Rank Lower
- Lower-ranking countries include Kenya (3.1%), Uganda (2.2%), Rwanda (2.1%), and Ethiopia (4.4%).
- These countries have some of the lowest diabetes prevalence rates in Africa in this dataset.
Africa Has a Wide Gap Between Highest and Lowest Rates
- Africa’s diabetes prevalence ranges from 22.4% in Egypt to 1.5% in Zimbabwe.
- This shows a major difference in estimated diabetes prevalence across African countries.
Top 10 Countries with the Highest Diabetes Rates in Africa
- Egypt — 22.4%
- Mauritius — 20.1%
- Sudan — 19.0%
- Algeria — 17.5%
- Tunisia — 16.0%
- Libya — 15.8%
- Sao Tome and Principe — 12.1%
- Morocco — 11.9%
- Comoros — 10.8%
- Zambia — 10.3%
Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Diabetes Rates in Africa
- Zimbabwe — 1.5%
- Rwanda — 2.1%
- Uganda — 2.2%
- Ghana — 2.7%
- Nigeria — 3.0%
- Mozambique — 3.0%
- Kenya — 3.1%
- Senegal — 3.8%
- Niger — 4.1%
- Burundi — 4.3%
About Diabetes Rates in Africa
Diabetes rates in Africa measure the estimated percentage of adults living with diabetes in each African country or territory. This percentage-based ranking makes it easier to compare countries of different population sizes because it focuses on prevalence rather than total diabetes cases.
In this dataset, Egypt has the highest estimated diabetes prevalence in Africa at 22.4%, followed by Mauritius, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. At the lower end of the ranking, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, and Mozambique report some of the lowest diabetes prevalence rates in Africa.
Diabetes prevalence should be interpreted carefully because rates can be influenced by age structure, lifestyle patterns, obesity levels, diet, urbanization, healthcare access, diagnosis rates, and data quality. This ranking is best used as a regional comparison of diabetes prevalence across African countries.
Definitions & Methodology
What do diabetes rates in Africa measure?
Diabetes rates in Africa measure the estimated percentage of adults living with diabetes in each African country or territory. The ranking is based on diabetes prevalence, not total diabetes cases.
How are African countries ranked?
Countries and territories are ranked from highest to lowest by estimated diabetes prevalence. A higher percentage means a larger share of adults are estimated to be living with diabetes.
What does the percentage mean?
The percentage shows the estimated share of adults with diabetes. For example, 22.4% means about 22.4 out of every 100 adults are estimated to be living with diabetes.
Why can diabetes prevalence differ between countries?
Diabetes prevalence can vary because of differences in age structure, lifestyle, diet, obesity levels, urbanization, physical activity, healthcare access, diagnosis rates, and data quality.
Sources
Diabetes Rates in Africa FAQs
Which country has the highest diabetes rate in Africa?
Egypt has the highest diabetes rate in Africa in this dataset at 22.4%, followed by Mauritius, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.
Which country has the lowest diabetes rate in Africa?
Zimbabwe has the lowest diabetes rate in Africa in this dataset at 1.5%, followed by Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, and Mozambique.
Which African countries have diabetes rates above 15%?
Egypt, Mauritius, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya have diabetes prevalence rates above 15% in this dataset.
How does South Africa compare with Nigeria and Kenya?
In this dataset, South Africa (7.2%) has a higher diabetes prevalence than Kenya (3.1%) and Nigeria (3.0%).
How are diabetes rates in Africa measured?
Diabetes rates in Africa are measured as the estimated percentage of adults living with diabetes in each country or territory, allowing places with different population sizes to be compared by prevalence.