Portugal records 70,399 new diabetes cases in 2025 and starts child type 1 screening pilot

Diagnoses and prevalence

The 2026 report of the National Diabetes Programme, released by the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) on Friday, 13 November 2026, records 70,399 new diabetes cases registered in primary care during 2025. That raises the number of people with a registered diagnosis in the National Health Service (SNS) to 960,064, equal to 8.9% of registered users. Sónia do Vale, director of the programme, told Lusa that the numbers keep rising and that many people remain undiagnosed, estimating that more than 14% of people aged 20 to 79 have diabetes. The comparison with earlier years differs between outlets: Diário de Notícias quotes Vale saying 2025 saw fewer new cases than 2024 (about 80,000) and 2023 (75,000), while Notícias ao Minuto reports 23,055 more registrations than in 2024.

“The diabetes pandemic continues to show rising numbers.”

Prevalence varies by region. The Alentejo has the highest share at 10.6%, followed by the Norte at 9.9%, the Centro at 9.6%, Lisboa e Vale do Tejo at 7.6% and the Algarve at 7.4%.

Alentejo10.6%

Norte9.9%

Centro9.6%

Lisboa e Vale do Tejo7.6%

Algarve7.4%

Alentejo

10.6 %

Norte

9.9 %

Centro

9.6 %

Lisboa e Vale do Tejo

7.6 %

Algarve

7.4 %

Data from the article text

Type 1 and type 2 risk

More than 24,000 people have a registered type 1 diabetes diagnosis, 3,161 of them under 20. The report says new type 1 cases have been relatively stable up to age 14 since 2023, with a decline between ages 15 and 19. Type 2 risk assessments in primary care classed 17.2% as moderate risk, 13.4% as high risk and 1.1% as very high risk.

Moderate risk17.2%

High risk13.4%

Very high risk1.1%

Moderate risk

17.2 %

High risk

13.4 %

Very high risk

1.1 %

Data from the article text

Vale said about two-thirds of eligible adults have now been screened, and roughly one-third of those screened face an increased risk of developing diabetes within 10 years. She noted that a large share of cases are type 2, which makes acting on risk factors worthwhile.

“We still need to identify more people to know who has the disease, to act early and to avoid complications.”

Screening and prevention

Vale urged adults to complete the risk calculation, which can be done during routine primary care visits or on the SNS portal, where a raised risk result prompts the user to contact the health team. Diário de Notícias reports she advised adults aged 35 to 45 to get screened for early diagnosis. People with classic symptoms such as strong thirst, frequent urination, weight loss despite eating well or blurred vision should see a doctor, she said.

Type 1 screening pilot for children

The DGS will start a pilot that tests children for type 1 diabetes during the six-year-old vaccination visit, taking a blood sample to check for antibodies. Health centres will collect the blood during vaccination, and hospitals will measure the antibodies. Three units are involved: ULS de Coimbra, ULS São João in Porto and ULS São José in Lisbon, with the first start expected at São João and Coimbra still in November 2026. Vale said the aim is to diagnose people before symptoms or high blood sugar appear, to prevent acute complications and to identify candidates for future treatments that could slow progression. The project is described as a pilot for now, while the best way to screen children is still debated internationally.

Insulin pumps

PÚBLICO reports that the number of people using automatic insulin pumps rose from 1,074 in 2024 to 5,474 in 2025, although the same report also gives 6,294 users at the end of 2025. Treatment centres had 2,167 users on waiting lists. Investment in these devices and their consumables reached 15.9 million euros in 2025.