Diabetes Rates in North America (2026)
Diabetes affects millions of people across North America, but prevalence varies significantly between countries and territories. According to the latest estimates, the Dominican Republic records the highest diabetes rate in the region, while Greenland has the lowest. This page ranks 29 North American countries and territories by estimated diabetes prevalence and compares their global rankings.
Diabetes Rates in North America Rankings
| # | Country | Est. Diabetes Prevention (%) | Global Rank | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇩🇴Dominican Republic |
17.6% | 26 | North America |
| 2 | 🇲🇽Mexico |
16.4% | 31 | North America |
| 3 | 🇧🇿Belize |
14.1% | 37 | North America |
| 4 | 🇰🇳Saint Kitts and Nevis |
13.8% | 40 | North America |
| 5 | 🇺🇸United States |
13.7% | 41 | North America |
| 6 | 🇧🇲Bermuda |
13.4% | 45 | North America |
| 7 | 🇬🇹Guatemala |
13.2% | 47 | North America |
| 8 | 🇧🇧Barbados |
13.2% | 48 | North America |
| 9 | 🇩🇲Dominica |
12.9% | 49 | North America |
| 10 | 🇸🇻El Salvador |
12.7% | 50 | North America |
| 11 | 🇯🇲Jamaica |
12.5% | 51 | North America |
| 12 | 🇹🇹Trinidad and Tobago |
12.4% | 52 | North America |
| 13 | 🇦🇬Antigua and Barbuda |
11.6% | 61 | North America |
| 14 | 🇱🇨Saint Lucia |
11.4% | 63 | North America |
| 15 | 🇬🇩Grenada |
11.3% | 65 | North America |
| 16 | 🇵🇦Panama |
11.1% | 66 | North America |
| 17 | 🇰🇾Cayman Islands |
11.1% | 67 | North America |
| 18 | 🇵🇷Puerto Rico |
10.9% | 68 | North America |
| 19 | 🇳🇮Nicaragua |
10.4% | 78 | North America |
| 20 | 🇨🇷Costa Rica |
9.8% | 91 | North America |
| 21 | 🇨🇺Cuba |
9.4% | 95 | North America |
| 22 | 🇻🇮U.S. Virgin Islands |
9.1% | 99 | North America |
| 23 | 🇧🇸Bahamas |
8.9% | 101 | North America |
| 24 | 🇻🇨Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
8.6% | 103 | North America |
| 25 | 🇭🇹Haiti |
8.5% | 105 | North America |
| 26 | 🇨🇦Canada |
7.7% | 123 | North America |
| 27 | 🇭🇳Honduras |
5% | 180 | North America |
| 28 | 🇦🇼Aruba |
4.6% | 193 | North America |
| 29 | 🇬🇱Greenland |
4.3% | 198 | North America |
Key Findings
Dominican Republic Has the Highest Diabetes Rate in North America
- Dominican Republic ranks #1 in North America with an estimated diabetes prevalence of 17.6%.
- It is followed by Mexico (16.4%), Belize (14.1%), Saint Kitts and Nevis (13.8%), and the United States (13.7%).
Several Caribbean Countries Rank Relatively High
- Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago appear in the upper half of the regional ranking.
- This indicates that several Caribbean countries have relatively high estimated diabetes prevalence.
United States Ranks Higher Than Canada
- The United States has an estimated diabetes prevalence of 13.7%, placing it fifth in North America.
- Canada records a considerably lower rate of 7.7% and ranks 26th in the region.
Mexico Has the Second-Highest Diabetes Rate
- Mexico ranks second in North America with an estimated diabetes prevalence of 16.4%.
- Its diabetes rate is approximately 2.7 percentage points higher than that of the United States.
North America Has a Wide Gap Between the Highest and Lowest Rates
- Diabetes prevalence ranges from 17.6% in the Dominican Republic to 4.3% in Greenland.
- This represents a difference of 13.3 percentage points between the highest and lowest rates in the region.
Top 10 Countries with the Highest Diabetes Rates in North America
- Dominican Republic — 17.6%
- Mexico — 16.4%
- Belize — 14.1%
- Saint Kitts and Nevis — 13.8%
- United States — 13.7%
- Bermuda — 13.4%
- Guatemala — 13.2%
- Barbados — 13.2%
- Dominica — 12.9%
- El Salvador — 12.7%
Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Diabetes Rates in North America
- Greenland — 4.3%
- Aruba — 4.6%
- Honduras — 5.0%
- Canada — 7.7%
- Haiti — 8.5%
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — 8.6%
- Bahamas — 8.9%
- U.S. Virgin Islands — 9.1%
- Cuba — 9.4%
- Costa Rica — 9.8%
About Diabetes Rates in North America
Diabetes is a major public-health concern across North America, but its prevalence is not evenly distributed throughout the region. The highest estimated rate in this dataset is recorded in the Dominican Republic at 17.6%, placing it 26th globally. Mexico follows with 16.4%, while Belize ranks third in North America with an estimated rate of 14.1%.
The United States has an estimated diabetes rate of 13.7%, ranking fifth within North America and 41st worldwide. Canada’s rate is considerably lower at 7.7%, placing it 26th regionally and 123rd globally. At the lower end of the table, Honduras records 5%, Aruba 4.6%, and Greenland has the region’s lowest estimated rate at 4.3%.
Higher diabetes rates may be associated with factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, ageing populations, unhealthy diets, genetic susceptibility, and limited access to preventive healthcare. However, comparisons should be interpreted carefully because diagnostic coverage, data collection methods, reporting years, and population structures can differ between countries and territories.
Sources
Definitions & Methodology
What do diabetes rates in North America measure?
Diabetes rates in North America measure the estimated percentage of adults living with diabetes in each North American country or territory. The ranking is based on diabetes prevalence rather than the total number of people with diabetes.
How are North American countries ranked?
Countries and territories are ranked from highest to lowest according to their estimated diabetes prevalence. A higher percentage indicates that a larger share of the adult population is living with diabetes.
What does the diabetes percentage mean?
The percentage represents the estimated proportion of adults with diabetes. For example, 17.6% means that approximately 18 out of every 100 adults are estimated to be living with diabetes.
Why do diabetes rates vary across North America?
Diabetes prevalence can differ because of variations in obesity rates, diet, physical activity, population age, genetics, healthcare access, early diagnosis, socioeconomic conditions, and the methods used to collect and report health data.
Diabetes Rates in North America FAQs
Which country has the highest diabetes rate in North America?
Dominican Republic has the highest diabetes rate in North America in this dataset at 17.6%, followed by Mexico, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis, United States, and Bermuda.
Which country has the lowest diabetes rate in North America?
Greenland has the lowest diabetes rate in North America in this dataset at 4.3%, followed by Aruba, Honduras, Canada, Haiti, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Which North American countries have diabetes rates above 13%?
Dominican Republic, Mexico, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis, United States, Bermuda, Guatemala, and Barbados have estimated diabetes prevalence rates above 13% in this dataset.
How does the United States compare with Canada?
In this dataset, the United States (13.7%) has a higher diabetes prevalence than Canada (7.7%), showing a difference of approximately 6 percentage points.
How are diabetes rates in North America measured?
Diabetes rates in North America are measured as the estimated percentage of adults living with diabetes in each country or territory, allowing countries and territories with different population sizes to be compared using prevalence rather than total cases.