Black/African American Health

Diabetes and Black/African Americans

  • In 2023, non-Hispanic Black or African American adults were 1.4 times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes.1
  • In 2021, non-Hispanic Black or African Americans were 40% more likely than non-Hispanic whites to die from diabetes.2
  • In 2020, non-Hispanic Black or African American adults were admitted to the hospital for uncontrolled diabetes at nearly four times the rate of non-Hispanic white adults.3
  • In 2020, non-Hispanic Black or African Americans were more than three times as likely to be diagnosed with end stage renal disease due to diabetes than non-Hispanic whites.4

Diagnosed Cases of Diabetes

Adults age 18 and over with diagnosed diabetes, percentage, 2023
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
12.98.91.4
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Center for Health Statistics. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults. Percentage of diagnosed diabetes for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2023.
Adults age 18 and over with diagnosed diabetes, age-adjusted percentage, 2022
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
11.57.21.6
Source: CDC. National Diabetes Surveillance System.
Adults age 18 and over with diagnosed diabetes, age-adjusted percentage, 2019–2021
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Men11.57.71.5
Women12.56.12.0
Total12.16.91.8
Source: CDC, 2022. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2021. Appendix Table 3.
Crude prevalence of diagnosed diabetes among adults age 18 and over, percentage, 2019–2021
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
12.58.51.5
Source: CDC, 2022. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2021. Table 2.

Death Rates

Diabetes mortality, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2021
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Male48.939.31.2
Female42.027.61.5
Both Sexes45.333.41.4
Source: CDC, 2024. Deaths: Final Data for 2021. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 73, No. 8. Table 10.

Related Conditions

Visual impairment among adults age 18 and over with diabetes, age-adjusted percentage, 2022
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
28.526.31.1
Source: CDC. National Diabetes Surveillance System.
Hospital admissions for uncontrolled diabetes without complications among adults age 18 and over, rate per 100,000 population, 2020
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
102.126.83.8
Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.
Lower extremity amputations among admissions for diabetes among adults age 18 and over, rate per 100,000 population, 2020
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
71.127.82.6
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.
Incidence of end stage renal disease (ESRD) due to diabetes, age-adjusted rate per million population, 2020
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
434.4121.13.6
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.

Preventive Health

Adults age 40 and over with diagnosed diabetes who received a flu vaccination in the calendar year, percentage, 2020
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
56.269.30.8
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.
Adults age 40 and over with diagnosed diabetes who had their feet checked for sores or irritation in the calendar year, percentage, 2020
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
55.763.20.9
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.
Adults age 18 and over with diagnosed diabetes who received an annual eye examination in the calendar year, percentage, 2023
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
71.863.61.1
Source: CDC. National Health Interview Survey. Healthy People 2030. Annual eye examinations among adults with diagnosed diabetes by race/ethnicity, 2019–2023.
Adults age 40 and over with diagnosed diabetes who received a dilated eye examination in the calendar year, percentage, 2020
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
52.159.20.9
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.
Adults age 40 and over with diagnosed diabetes who received at least two hemoglobin A1c measurements in the calendar year, percentage, 2020
Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Black / 
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
77.680.71.0
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.

1 CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults. Percentage of diagnosed diabetes for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2023. (back)

2 CDC, 2024. Deaths: Final Data for 2021. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 73, No. 8. Table 10. (back)

3 AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query. (back)

4 AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query. (back)


Last Edited: 01/16/2025