Malaysia vs South Africa: Prevalence rate of diabetes in adults
Malaysia
11.1
in 2014
South Africa
11.3
in 2014
Malaysia rank
54th
South Africa rank
51st
Prevalence rate of diabetes in adults over time
- Malaysia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 11.3 against 11.1 in Malaysia, a difference of 0.2.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 35 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Africa ahead.
Malaysia ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 51st of 190 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.95 | 6.62 | 0.67 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 7.72 | 7.73 | 0.01 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 9.8 | 9.5 | 0.3 | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 10.84 | 10.94 | 0.1 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prevalence rate of diabetes in adults, Malaysia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 11.3 against 11.1 in Malaysia as of 2014.
- What is the difference in prevalence rate of diabetes in adults between Malaysia and South Africa?
- 0.2, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2014.
- How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for prevalence rate of diabetes in adults?
- Malaysia ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 51st of 190 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Prevalence rate of diabetes in adults. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated share of people with diabetes among those aged over 18, based on general population surveys and statistical modeling. Diabetes is a risk factor for chronic complications, including cardiovascular disease, and premature death.