Background: It is estimated that by the year 2030, Egypt will have at least 8.6 million adults with diabetes. Little data is available on the epidemiology of diabetes in Egypt. Purpose: We aimed to describe the epidemiology of known diabetes in the adult Egyptian population above the age of 20 years. Methodology: Data from the 2008 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS 2008) were used for this study. Prevalence of diabetes for selected socio-demographic variables was calculated by gender. Prevalence of comorbid conditions, and risk factors for complications of diabetes, were estimated by
gender. Health care utilization among diabetics was estimated. Results: The crude prevalence rate of known diabetes in Egypt in 2008 was 4.07% (0.25). It increased with age, to reach 19.8% among females aged 50-59. Only 18% of males, and 7.8% of females, had a normal body mass index. 37.5% of male diabetics smoked. The prevalence of hypertension among diabetics was 75% for males, and 66.9% for females; of these, only 2% of males, and 14.3% of females, were controlled to < 130/80 mmHg. 13.3% of males had a history of myocardial infarction or stroke. 44.9% of males, and 80.4% of females, had no insurance coverage. More than half of diabetics visited a private physician at their last visit. 9.3% of males, and 3.8% of females, had been hospitalized in the past year. Conclusions: Diabetes is highly prevalent among older persons in Egypt. Public health policy should educate the public on the risk factors for diabetes, and should implement guidelines for adequate control of this disease