One in three Israelis aged 65 and up suffers from diabetes, according to a report the Israeli Health Ministry published on Thursday.
The ministry’s National Center for Disease Control reported that 696,121 diabetics aged two years and older were included in the national registry in 2023, 7.4% of the population.
Among the 35-84 age group, there has been a gradual increase in the prevalence of diabetes, according to the data, which is based on health insurance reports. However, the trend remains stable when adjusted for age, according to the ministry.
Men from age 35 up were more susceptible to diabetes than women, according to the report.
Additionally, the diabetes rate in neighborhoods with low or medium-low socioeconomic index was found to be higher than in neighborhoods with a medium-high or high socioeconomic index, across all age groups.
Arab and Bedouin populations were found to have higher diabetes rates than the Jewish population. The Israeli government allocated approximately 650 million shekels (~$193 million) in 2022 for initiatives to promote health in Arab society through 2026, according to a Health Ministry spokesperson.
The lowest rates were observed in the districts in the center of the country (Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Petach Tikvah, Rehovot) and Judea and Samaria, while the highest rates of diabetes were observed in the districts of the Golan, Jezreel Valley, Hadera and Acre.
According to the International Diabetes Federation report for 2021, the age-standardized prevalence rate of diabetes in Israel was 8.5%—higher than the 7% average in European countries.
“Promoting a healthy diet, physical activity and a healthy lifestyle are the most effective tools for reducing morbidity,” said Dr. Moran Blaychfeld Magnazi, director of the Nutrition Division of the ministry’s Public Health Division.
