Our population in Wales is aging and and people are more overweight than ever before. It’s small wonder then that the number of people living with diabetes her is rising faster than previously projected.

New data from NHS Wales has prompted Public Health Wales (PHW) and Diabetes UK Cymru to join forces and call on people to know their risk of Type 2 diabetes and act now. And this publication fully endorses their efforts and will do what it can to raise awareness of the disease, how to prevent it, and how to monitor it.

We are proud to use our unique role across mid and west Wales in the fight against diabetes.

The latest figures from 2025 show that 230,371 people aged 17 and over in Wales are now living with diabetes - an increase of 7,685 people, or 3.5 per cent, in a single year (222,686 in 2024). This rate of growth significantly outpaces projections made by PHW in 2021/22, which forecast that Wales would reach 260,000 - or one in 11 people diagnosed as living with diabetes - by 2035. At current rates of growth, that milestone could arrive considerably earlier.

A further 269,747 people in Wales are estimated to be living with prediabetes - placing them at very high risk of developing the condition - and an estimated 58,906 people are living with undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes, unaware of the damage that may already be occurring. In total, approximately one in five adults in Wales is currently living with diabetes or prediabetes.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for most cases. Left unmanaged, it can lead to serious complications including sight loss, kidney disease, nerve damage, and cardiovascular disease - robbing people of their independence, their quality of life, and, in too many cases, years of their lives. The condition disproportionately affects people living in areas of greater social and economic challenge, and those from South Asian, Black African, and Black Caribbean backgrounds.

With early action, Type 2 diabetes can often be prevented entirely. For those already living with the condition, remission may be possible - and with the right knowledge and support, people can live well with diabetes and avoid complications.