Diabetes in Canada is far more prevalent than many people realize. While it’s often discussed in medical or public health terms, it also plays a role in how financial products, including life insurance, are assessed. Understanding how widespread diabetes is and how insurers interpret long-term data can help Canadians better understand what to expect when exploring coverage.
Importantly, diabetes is not a rare or fringe condition. It affects millions of Canadians across all age groups, and because of that prevalence, it is one of the most studied and well-understood health conditions in both healthcare and insurance underwriting.
How Common Is Diabetes in Canada?
According to the Government of Canada’s Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS), approximately 3.9 million Canadians, which is about 9.7% of the population, are living with diagnosed diabetes. This figure includes both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and reflects diagnosed cases nationwide.
This prevalence means that nearly 1 in 10 Canadians is managing diabetes today. These individuals span a wide range of backgrounds, professions, lifestyles, and health profiles. Diabetes is not limited to one demographic group, nor is it confined to later stages of life.
Because diabetes is so common, it is extensively tracked through national health data systems. This allows policymakers, healthcare providers, and insurers to evaluate outcomes using large, reliable datasets rather than assumptions or isolated cases.
Because diabetes affects millions of Canadians and is tracked through long-term national data, it is not treated as an unknown risk in insurance underwriting. Understanding how prevalence and stability influence eligibility can help clarify the life insurance options for diabetics in Canada, and why coverage decisions are based on context rather than labels.
In the years leading up the pandemic (2016 to 2019), almost 1 in 10 Canadian adults aged 20 to 79 (9%) had diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes ranged from 1% of Canadians aged 20 to 39 to almost one in five seniors aged 60 to 79 (18%). This is according to the Canadian Health Measures Survey, which combined self-reported information on diagnosed diabetes and levels of glucose measured directly in blood.
Diabetes in Canada: How Rates Have Changed Over Time
Long-term data show that diabetes in Canada has increased steadily over the past few decades. Research published by the Library of Parliament of Canada, drawing on national surveillance data, indicates that it has increased by nearly 70% since 2000.
This growth reflects several overlapping factors, including population growth, longer life expectancy, improved detection and diagnosis, and changes in lifestyle and environmental factors. Importantly, it does not mean that diabetes outcomes are worsening across the board. In many cases, people are living longer and managing the condition more effectively than in the past.
From an insurance perspective, this long-term data matters because it provides insurers with a clear picture of how people with diabetes fare over time… across millions of cases rather than relying on outdated assumptions.
The Main Types of Diabetes in Canada
While diabetes is often discussed as a single condition, it actually includes several distinct types. Each type has different causes, management approaches, and long-term considerations, which is why insurers evaluate them differently.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body stops producing insulin. It is typically diagnosed earlier in life and requires ongoing insulin management. While less common than Type 2 diabetes, it is well understood and extensively documented in long-term health data.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in Canada. It is often associated with insulin resistance and may be managed through a combination of medication, lifestyle changes, and monitoring. Many Canadians with Type 2 diabetes maintain stable health outcomes over long periods.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and is usually temporary. In most cases, blood sugar levels return to normal after pregnancy. While it is monitored carefully in healthcare settings, it does not automatically translate into long-term diabetes or permanent health complications.
Understanding these distinctions is important because insurers do not treat all forms of diabetes as interchangeable.
Public health data helps explain why diabetes is so well understood, but coverage questions often start earlier, with access to care itself. Many Canadians begin by asking whether diabetes medication is publicly funded, a question we explore in more detail in our guide on when diabetes medication may be covered in Canada and why it matters.
Why Insurers Pay Attention to Long-Term Data
Life insurance underwriting is based on risk assessment, not medical judgment. Insurers are not diagnosing conditions or providing treatment advice. Instead, they rely on large historical datasets to understand long-term patterns.
Diabetes in Canada affects millions of people. Insurers have access to decades of actuarial data showing how different forms of diabetes, management approaches, and health histories correlate with long-term outcomes.
This is why insurers focus on patterns over time, rather than isolated data points.
Patterns Matter More Than Single Results
One of the most common misconceptions about diabetes in Canada and life insurance is that a single test result or moment in time determines eligibility. In reality, insurers are far more interested in trends.
They typically look at factors such as:
Stability over time
Consistency in management
Overall health trends
Presence or absence of complications
They generally do not make decisions based on:
One lab result
One appointment
One short-term fluctuation
This approach reflects how diabetes is understood at a population level. Long-term consistency provides far more insight into outcomes than a single snapshot.
Common Misconceptions About Diabetes in Canada and Life Insurance
Because diabetes is often discussed in emotionally charged ways, misunderstandings are common. Clarifying these myths helps Canadians approach insurance decisions with better information.
Myth: Diabetes automatically disqualifies you from life insurance
Reality: Many Canadians with diabetes qualify for coverage, depending on individual circumstances.
Myth: One test result determines everything
Reality: Insurers review history and trends, not isolated numbers.
Myth: There is only one type of policy available
Reality: There are multiple insurance pathways, including traditional and simplified options, depending on health history.
These misconceptions persist largely because diabetes is discussed without context. Population-level data tells a much more nuanced story.
What This Means for Life Insurance in Canada
Because diabetes in Canada is common, well-documented, and widely studied, it is not treated as an unknown risk. Instead, insurers rely on long-term evidence to assess applications fairly and consistently.
This is why education matters. Understanding how common diabetes is and how insurers interpret data helps applicants approach the process with realistic expectations rather than unnecessary concern.
Canadians living with diabetes often explore life insurance options for diabetics in Canada as part of broader financial planning. These options can vary depending on health history, type of diabetes, and overall stability, but they exist precisely because diabetes is so well understood at a population level.
Why Normalization of Diabetes in Canada Matters
When a condition affects nearly one in ten Canadians, it is no longer unusual. Normalizing diabetes, without minimizing its seriousness, helps remove stigma and misinformation from financial conversations.
From an insurance standpoint, normalization means:
Broader data
More refined underwriting models
Clearer distinctions between different health profiles
This benefits both insurers and applicants by supporting more accurate, individualized assessments.
Looking Ahead
Diabetes in Canada is closely monitored through national health surveillance systems. As data evolves, underwriting models evolve with it, reflecting real-world outcomes rather than assumptions.
For Canadians living with diabetes, understanding how common the condition is — and how insurers interpret long-term trends- provides clarity. It shifts the conversation from fear to facts, and from uncertainty to informed planning.
