China, in 2016, had an estimated population of 1.3bn with 17% under the age of 15 years and 10% aged 65 years and over. By 2050, over one in four people in China (28%) will be aged 65 years or older and only 14% in the younger cohort.
Alongside the ageing population, the prevalence of people with diabetes appears to be increasing – with the most recent statistics reporting 109.6m people living with diabetes and an estimated 57.8m undiagnosed cases. Of note, China is ranked 2nd highest in the world for diabetes–related health expenditure at $51bn USD and will remain in the top 10 countries in 2040 with an estimated cost of $72bn USD.
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