Do Native Americans have higher rates of diabetes and chronic disease than the general population? 

Studies have consistently found that American Indians and Alaska Natives are more likely to be diagnosed with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, liver disease or kidney disease. Such health disparities are often linked to a range of external conditions that can affect well-being, such as income level and access to health care, education or healthy foods. 

In 2023, U.S. adults who identified as American Indian or Alaska Native were 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes, down slightly from prior years. In Arizona, about 20% of adults among that population were diagnosed with diabetes as of 2019 — nearly double the statewide rate.