Diabetes Rates in Asia (2026)
Diabetes rates vary widely across Asia, with some countries reporting very high adult diabetes prevalence while others remain much lower. This page ranks Asian countries by estimated diabetes prevalence using the latest available data.
The ranking helps compare where diabetes rates are highest and lowest across Asia, from Pakistan, Kuwait, and Qatar near the top to Iraq, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste near the bottom.
Diabetes Rates in Asia Rankings
| # | Country | Est. Diabetes Prevention (%) | Global Rank | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇵🇰Pakistan |
31.4% | 1 | Asia |
| 2 | 🇰🇼Kuwait |
25.6% | 3 | Asia |
| 3 | 🇶🇦Qatar |
24.6% | 5 | Asia |
| 4 | 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia |
23.1% | 7 | Asia |
| 5 | 🇧🇭Bahrain |
22.1% | 10 | Asia |
| 6 | 🇲🇾Malaysia |
21.1% | 13 | Asia |
| 7 | 🇦🇪United Arab Emirates |
20.7% | 14 | Asia |
| 8 | 🇯🇴Jordan |
20.5% | 15 | Asia |
| 9 | 🇸🇾Syria |
19% | 23 | Asia |
| 10 | 🇴🇲Oman |
17% | 28 | Asia |
| 11 | 🇹🇷Turkey |
16.5% | 30 | Asia |
| 12 | 🇵🇸State of Palestine |
15.5% | 35 | Asia |
| 13 | 🇧🇳Brunei |
13.7% | 42 | Asia |
| 14 | 🇮🇷Iran |
13.4% | 43 | Asia |
| 15 | 🇧🇩Bangladesh |
13.2% | 46 | Asia |
| 16 | 🇱🇧Lebanon |
12.3% | 53 | Asia |
| 17 | 🇧🇹Bhutan |
12% | 57 | Asia |
| 18 | 🇨🇳China |
11.9% | 58 | Asia |
| 19 | 🇦🇫Afghanistan |
11.7% | 60 | Asia |
| 20 | 🇸🇬Singapore |
11.4% | 62 | Asia |
| 21 | 🇮🇩Indonesia |
11.3% | 64 | Asia |
| 22 | 🇹🇼Taiwan |
10.7% | 70 | Asia |
| 23 | 🇮🇳India |
10.5% | 74 | Asia |
| 24 | 🇲🇳Mongolia |
10.3% | 80 | Asia |
| 25 | 🇹🇭Thailand |
10.2% | 82 | Asia |
| 26 | 🇱🇰Sri Lanka |
10.2% | 83 | Asia |
| 27 | 🇦🇿Azerbaijan |
10.2% | 84 | Asia |
| 28 | 🇮🇱Israel |
10.1% | 85 | Asia |
| 29 | 🇨🇾Cyprus |
10% | 87 | Asia |
| 30 | 🇰🇵North Korea |
9.9% | 89 | Asia |
| 31 | 🇰🇷South Korea |
9.6% | 93 | Asia |
| 32 | 🇲🇻Maldives |
9.5% | 94 | Asia |
| 33 | 🇭🇰Hong Kong |
8.2% | 109 | Asia |
| 34 | 🇲🇴Macau |
8.1% | 114 | Asia |
| 35 | 🇹🇯Tajikistan |
8% | 116 | Asia |
| 36 | 🇳🇵Nepal |
7.7% | 124 | Asia |
| 37 | 🇦🇲Armenia |
7.7% | 125 | Asia |
| 38 | 🇯🇵Japan |
7.6% | 126 | Asia |
| 39 | 🇰🇬Kyrgyzstan |
7.6% | 128 | Asia |
| 40 | 🇵🇭Philippines |
7.5% | 130 | Asia |
| 41 | 🇺🇿Uzbekistan |
7.5% | 131 | Asia |
| 42 | 🇰🇭Cambodia |
7.5% | 133 | Asia |
| 43 | 🇹🇲Turkmenistan |
7.1% | 143 | Asia |
| 44 | 🇰🇿Kazakhstan |
6.8% | 152 | Asia |
| 45 | 🇲🇲Myanmar |
6.7% | 154 | Asia |
| 46 | 🇱🇦Laos |
6.7% | 155 | Asia |
| 47 | 🇬🇪Georgia |
6.7% | 157 | Asia |
| 48 | 🇾🇪Yemen |
5.5% | 171 | Asia |
| 49 | 🇮🇶Iraq |
3.6% | 201 | Asia |
| 50 | 🇻🇳Vietnam |
3.4% | 202 | Asia |
| 51 | 🇹🇱Timor-Leste |
3.2% | 204 | Asia |
Key Findings
Pakistan Has the Highest Diabetes Rate in Asia
- Pakistan ranks #1 in Asia with an estimated diabetes prevalence of 31.4%.
- It is followed by Kuwait (25.6%), Qatar (24.6%), Saudi Arabia (23.1%), and Bahrain (22.1%).
Gulf Countries Rank Very High
- Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Oman all appear near the top of Asia’s diabetes prevalence ranking.
- This shows that diabetes prevalence is especially high across several Gulf and Middle Eastern countries.
South Asia Shows a Sharp Contrast
- Pakistan (31.4%) ranks highest in Asia, while Bangladesh (13.2%), India (10.5%), Sri Lanka (10.2%), and Nepal (7.7%) are much lower.
- This highlights major differences in diabetes prevalence within South Asia.
East Asia Mostly Falls in the Middle Range
- China (11.9%), Taiwan (10.7%), North Korea (9.9%), South Korea (9.6%), and Japan (7.6%) sit below the highest-prevalence countries.
- East Asian countries generally rank lower than the Gulf countries in this dataset.
Timor-Leste Has the Lowest Diabetes Rate in Asia
- The lowest diabetes rates in Asia are found in Timor-Leste (3.2%), Vietnam (3.4%), Iraq (3.6%), Yemen (5.5%), and Georgia (6.7%).
- Asia’s diabetes prevalence ranges from 31.4% in Pakistan to 3.2% in Timor-Leste.
Top 10 Countries with the Highest Diabetes Rates in Asia
- Pakistan — 31.4%
- Kuwait — 25.6%
- Qatar — 24.6%
- Saudi Arabia — 23.1%
- Bahrain — 22.1%
- Malaysia — 21.1%
- United Arab Emirates — 20.7%
- Jordan — 20.5%
- Syria — 19%
- Oman — 17%
Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Diabetes Rates in Asia
- Timor-Leste — 3.2%
- Vietnam — 3.4%
- Iraq — 3.6%
- Yemen — 5.5%
- Georgia — 6.7%
- Laos — 6.7%
- Myanmar — 6.7%
- Kazakhstan — 6.8%
- Turkmenistan — 7.1%
- Cambodia — 7.5%
About Diabetes Rates in Asia
Diabetes rates in Asia measure the estimated percentage of adults living with diabetes in each Asian country. This percentage-based view makes it easier to compare countries of different population sizes because it focuses on prevalence rather than total diabetes cases.
In this dataset, Pakistan has the highest estimated diabetes prevalence in Asia at 31.4%, followed by several Gulf and Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Oman. At the lower end of the ranking, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and Iraq report the lowest diabetes prevalence rates in Asia.
Diabetes prevalence should be interpreted carefully because rates can be influenced by age structure, lifestyle patterns, urbanization, diet, physical activity, healthcare access, diagnosis rates, and data quality. This ranking is best used as a regional comparison of diabetes prevalence across Asian countries.
Definitions & Methodology
What do diabetes rates in Asia measure?
Diabetes rates in Asia measure the estimated percentage of adults living with diabetes in each Asian country. The ranking is based on diabetes prevalence, not total diabetes cases.
How are Asian countries ranked?
Countries 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, 31.4% means about 31.4 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 Asia FAQs
Which country has the highest diabetes rate in Asia?
Pakistan has the highest diabetes rate in Asia in this dataset at 31.4%, followed by Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
Which country has the lowest diabetes rate in Asia?
Timor-Leste has the lowest diabetes rate in Asia in this dataset at 3.2%, followed by Vietnam and Iraq.
Why do Gulf countries rank high for diabetes?
Several Gulf countries rank high because diabetes prevalence can be influenced by lifestyle patterns, diet, obesity levels, urbanization, age structure, and diagnosis rates.
How does India compare with Pakistan?
In this dataset, Pakistan (31.4%) has a much higher diabetes prevalence than India (10.5%).
How are diabetes rates in Asia measured?
Diabetes rates in Asia are measured as the estimated percentage of adults living with diabetes in each country, allowing countries with different population sizes to be compared by prevalence.