HC Deb 06 November 2002 vol 392 c448W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people, broken down by(a) age, (b) sex and (c) ethnicity were affected with Type II diabetes in each of the last three years. [78430]

Jacqui Smith

An estimated 1.3 million people in England have diagnosed diabetes, of whom around 85 per cent. have Type 2 diabetes. A break down in the form requested is not available. However, the frequency of diabetes is higher in men than in women. Prevalence rises steeply with age. Type 2 diabetes is up to six times more common in people of South Asian descent and up to three times more common in those of African and African-Caribbean descent, compared with the white population. It is also more common in people of Chinese descent and other non-white groups.