Diabetes Care Drugs and Devices Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Diabetes Care Drugs and Devices Market Trends and Insights

Rapid Reimbursement Expansion for Continuous Glucose Monitoring

The diabetes care drugs and devices market is gaining from policy changes that are turning interest in continuous monitoring into actual use in daily care. In the United States, Medicare expanded access effective January 2025 by removing the earlier requirement for repeated daily fingerstick testing, which opened eligibility to a wider group of insulin users and people with documented problematic hypoglycemia.^{[1]American Academy of Family Physicians, “Medicare Coverage of Continuous Glucose Monitoring, 2023 Updates,” Family Practice Management, aafp.org}That matters because reimbursement often decides whether a patient tries sensor-based monitoring at all, especially in older populations where recurring device cost can delay adoption. Better access to CGM in 2025 and 2026 also improves treatment follow-through because patients can see glucose response more clearly and respond faster to therapy changes at home. In the diabetes care drugs and devices market, this creates a link between device reimbursement and broader therapy use, since monitoring tools can support stronger persistence with injectable and insulin-based regimens. This is why reimbursement policy now shapes not only device demand, but also the pace of treatment intensification across the wider care pathway in the diabetes care drugs and devices market.

Rising Global Diabetes Prevalence and Treatment Intensification

The diabetes care drugs and devices market continues to expand because the underlying patient base remains very large and still has significant unmet treatment need. The International Diabetes Federation reported in 2025 that 43% of adults living with diabetes in 2024 remained undiagnosed, which means the current treatment pool still understates long-term demand.^{[2]International Diabetes Federation, “IDF Diabetes Atlas 2025, 11th Edition,” IDF Diabetes Atlas, diabetesatlas.org} The report also noted in 2025 that nearly 90% of the undiagnosed population lived in low- and middle-income countries, which points to future demand growth across both basic therapies and advanced monitoring as diagnosis rates improve. At the same time, diagnosed patients are moving toward more intensive treatment plans that combine newer drug classes with data-driven monitoring, raising revenue per patient rather than only increasing patient numbers. In February 2026, Novo Nordisk reported its fiscal 2025 results, confirming that GLP-1-based diabetes sales continued to contribute meaningfully even as obesity products grew faster. That combination of wider diagnosis and deeper treatment use is giving the diabetes care drugs and devices market a stronger growth base across both its drug and device segments.

Faster Adoption of Connected Insulin Delivery and Smart Monitoring

The diabetes care drugs and devices market is moving away from stand-alone products and toward connected systems that combine monitoring, dosing support, and data sharing. In December 2025, Medtronic began the broad United States commercial launch of its MiniMed 780G system integrated with the Abbott-made Instinct sensor, which showed how quickly major suppliers were shifting toward ecosystem-led offerings. In 2025, real-world data from Germany also showed that adults using automated insulin delivery achieved stronger time in range over a 12-month period than conventional therapy benchmarks.^{[3]Springer Nature, “Cardiovascular Outcome Trials in Cardiorenal Metabolic Medicine, A Decade of Transformative Progress (2016-2026),” Cardiovascular Diabetology, link.springer.com}That matters because providers and payers increasingly favor systems that can reduce friction for the patient and improve routine disease management over time. In January 2026 and June 2026, fresh regulatory clearances and partnership expansion further showed that leading manufacturers were building around integrated platforms rather than isolated hardware features. As a result, the strongest competitive position now comes from system integration rather than from performance gains in only one device component.

The diabetes care drugs and devices market is also seeing demand move across categories as GLP-1 therapy adoption changes patient behavior in daily monitoring. Many people beginning GLP-1 treatment, especially in type 2 diabetes, are entering more structured monitoring routines for the first time, which lifts interest in CGM and SMBG devices. In 2026, combined global sales of tirzepatide and semaglutide were projected to exceed USD 84.5 billion, which showed the scale at which GLP-1 growth could influence adjacent categories. This shift is important because it pulls value into home management tools even when the starting point of therapy growth comes from a drug category rather than a device category. In February 2026, Abbott India and Novo Nordisk entered a co-promotion agreement in India that linked semaglutide distribution with Abbott’s broader commercial reach, showing how drug and device pathways can begin to align more closely in go-to-market strategy. In the diabetes care drugs and devices market, that cross-category pull is helping create longer use cycles, stronger refill patterns, and deeper involvement of digital monitoring in type 2 care.

High Out-of-Pocket Cost for Advanced Devices and Branded Therapeutics

The diabetes care drugs and devices market still faces a clear affordability problem in advanced product categories. In 2025, FDA-approved CGM systems were described in the source material as costing USD 100 to USD 400 per month before insurance, and that still left meaningful patient exposure even where coverage existed. In lower-income and price-sensitive markets during 2025 and 2026, that challenge became more severe and kept many patients on older monitoring formats instead of shifting them into continuous sensing or premium drug therapy. High cost can also reshape channel behavior, because patients who cannot afford standard branded access may search for lower-cost supply routes that are less consistent and harder to supervise. In the diabetes care drugs and devices market, this slows adoption beyond well-insured groups and limits how fast innovation can scale into broad routine use. It also means that strong clinical value alone is not enough if the patient still cannot maintain access month after month.

EU MDR and Other Re-certification Bottlenecks for Legacy Devices

The diabetes care drugs and devices market in Europe is facing operational pressure from the recertification cycle under the EU Medical Device Regulation. As of February 2025, only 43% of the 28,489 MDR applications submitted had resulted in certificates, which showed the scale of the certification backlog. MedTech Europe warned in 2025 that the renewal phase for earlier MDR certificates due from 2026 to 2027 could create a new bottleneck for manufacturers that still need continuity across long-established device lines. This issue is particularly important for diabetes products with longer life cycles and tighter margins, because the cost and workload of recertification can be heavy relative to their commercial scale. In December 2025, MedTech Europe also described the European Commission’s revision proposal as a first step toward easing parts of the complexity, but it did not remove the immediate execution burden facing suppliers. Even with policy revisions under discussion, the recertification burden remains a real timing and capacity issue for device makers operating across the region 

*Our forecasts treat driver/restraint impacts as directional, not additive. The impact forecasts reflect baseline growth, mix effects, and variable interactions.

Segment Analysis

By Drug Type: GLP-1 Momentum Reshapes Insulin's Dominance

Insulin held 38.8% of the drug segment by value in 2025, which kept it in the leading position across treatment categories in the diabetes care drugs and devices market. That position reflects its essential role in type 1 care and its continued importance in large parts of type 2 management, especially in markets where cost still shapes prescribing choices. Even so, growth momentum is moving toward drug classes that offer a wider clinical value proposition and stronger commercial expansion potential. In 2026, clinical guidance and commercial activity both continued to support newer treatment classes with broader cardiometabolic relevance. The shift does not reduce insulin’s relevance, but it does change where future mix improvement is likely to come from in the diabetes care drugs and devices market.

GLP-1 receptor agonists are forecasted to grow at a 16.5% CAGR from 2026 to 2031, making them the fastest-growing drug class in the diabetes care drugs and devices market. Their expansion is being supported by broader use in cardiometabolic care and by stronger physician confidence in long-term outcomes beyond glucose control alone. In January 2026, IRA-negotiated Medicare prices took effect for selected drugs, which added another pricing and access variable for branded diabetes therapies. SGLT2 inhibitors are also gaining importance in 2026 because guidelines are bringing diabetes therapy closer to heart failure and kidney disease management in routine practice. Oral GLP-1 formats remain strategically important through the forecasted period because they can help expand access among patients who still hesitate to begin injectable therapy. 

By Device Type: Smart Integration Compounds Monitoring's Lead

Monitoring devices held 65.4% of device segment revenue in 2025, giving them the largest diabetes care drugs and devices market share within the device category. This lead reflects how quickly continuous monitoring moved into the mainstream for insulin users and how steadily it spread into broader type 2 care. The category is being led by sensor ecosystems that make daily tracking easier, extend wear time, and fit more naturally into patient routines. In April 2025, Dexcom received FDA clearance for its G7 15-Day CGM, which showed continued movement toward longer wear formats. It also explains why the device mix in the diabetes care drugs and devices market is staying weighted toward monitoring even as management systems improve.

Management devices are projected to grow at a 10.7% CAGR through 2031, which makes them the fastest-expanding device segment in the diabetes care drugs and devices market. In January 2026, Medtronic received FDA clearance for the MiniMed Go Smart MDI system, and in June 2026, MiniMed expanded its Abbott partnership around dual glucose-ketone sensors. In May 2026, Abbott also secured CE Mark for Libre Duo, which reinforced the move toward more clinically advanced sensing within insulin management. These steps show that growth in management devices is increasingly tied to connected design rather than stand-alone delivery hardware. In practical terms, the companies that can combine sensor data, decision support, and dosing tools most effectively are likely to hold the strongest long-term position in this part of the diabetes care drugs and devices market.

By Patient Type: Type 2 Diabetes Drives Volume, But Type 1 Sets the Tech Benchmark

Type 2 diabetes represented 85.2% of total demand in 2025, which made it the main volume driver across the diabetes care drugs and devices market. This concentration reflects the underlying prevalence of the condition and the steady rise in treatment intensity within this patient group. In 2024 and 2025, type 2 patients were central to GLP-1 uptake, home-based CGM use, and routine pharmacy-driven refill activity across many developed and emerging markets. Because the patient base is so large, even a modest increase in therapy intensity can create substantial value expansion across drugs, sensors, and support devices. The International Diabetes Federation also reported in 2025 that gestational diabetes affected 15.6% of live births globally in 2024, which supports continued demand for monitoring devices during pregnancy.

Type 1 diabetes accounts for a smaller share of the diabetes care drugs and devices market, but it remains the segment where advanced technology is most established and most closely evaluated. In July 2025, Medtronic received CE Mark expansion for the MiniMed 780G system to include children as young as 2, pregnancy, and type 2 diabetes, which showed how evidence developed in type 1 care was beginning to support broader use cases. Automated insulin delivery, pediatric approvals, and pregnancy-related use cases are all moving first through type 1 care before spreading more widely into type 2 treatment. That creates an evidence path that can support broader reimbursement decisions later, especially when systems prove they can work reliably outside specialist settings. This is why type 1 care continues to influence the pace of innovation across the wider diabetes care drugs and devices market, even though it does not drive the same patient volume as type 2 diabetes.

By End User: Home Care Settings Anchor the Structural Growth Story

Home care settings held 58.2% of the diabetes care drugs and devices market share in 2025, which made them the leading end-user segment. This position reflects the wider use of smartphone-linked CGM, connected pens, patch pumps, and delivery models that support self-managed care. It also reflects patient preference for less frequent facility-based management when monitoring can be handled reliably at home. Hospitals and clinics still remain important for treatment initiation, dose adjustment, and more complex cases, but the center of routine management has moved outward.

Home care settings are projected to grow at a 10.2% CAGR through 2031, which keeps them central to the diabetes care drugs and devices market size over the forecasted period. This growth is also shifting competition toward retention tools such as remote monitoring apps, refill continuity, and caregiver-sharing features. As device hardware begins to converge, service quality and digital continuity become more important in keeping patients on a given platform. The diabetes care drugs and devices industry is therefore seeing home care turn into both the largest usage setting and one of the strongest sources of repeat demand.

By Distribution Channel: E-Commerce Expands Access but Fragments Quality Control

Retail pharmacies held 48.8% of channel revenue in 2025, which kept them in the leading distribution position across the diabetes care drugs and devices market. Their strength comes from their role as the main dispensing point for insulin, sensors, strips, and repeat therapy supplies in most developed markets. Hospital pharmacies still remain important for high-acuity cases and specialty initiation, while clinic-linked supply channels serve narrower but relevant patient groups. Even with that, the channel structure is becoming more diverse as digital fulfillment becomes easier for long-term diabetes care. The diabetes care drugs and devices market is therefore keeping a strong traditional channel base while also building faster digital routes on top of it.

E-commerce and direct-to-consumer channels are forecasted to grow at a 15.0% CAGR through 2031, making them the fastest-growing distribution route in the diabetes care drugs and devices market. Subscription models, mail-order supply programs, and digital prescribing pathways in 2025 and 2026 are supporting this growth because they fit well with recurring therapy needs. In November 2025, the U.S. OIG reported that Medicare payments for CGM supplies exceeded supplier acquisition costs by USD 359 million, which brought more attention to billing control and pricing discipline as volume shifts online. From mid-2026, CMS action around competitive bidding is also set to influence channel economics more directly. In the diabetes care drugs and devices market, digital channel growth will remain important, but it will need tighter operational controls as scale increases.

Geography Analysis

North America held 39.6% of global revenue in 2025, which gave it the largest regional position in the diabetes care drugs and devices market share. The region’s lead reflects high per-patient treatment spending, broad insurance infrastructure, and early use of premium CGM and automated insulin delivery systems. In the United States, Medicare coverage changes effective from January 2025 further improved access to CGM for insulin-using patients and people with problematic hypoglycemia. Canada adds a steadier base through provincial reimbursement, while Mexico remains more underpenetrated and more concentrated in private care settings. Even in this large regional block, prior authorization and affordability in 2025 and 2026 still shape how quickly advanced solutions spread across everyday use.

Asia-Pacific is forecasted to grow at a 10.7% CAGR from 2026 to 2031, making it the fastest-growing regional component of the diabetes care drugs and devices market. The region combines a large diabetes burden with improving access to diagnosis, basic therapy, and device reimbursement in several major markets. In Q3 2025, tirzepatide posted 251% year-on-year sales growth in Japan, which signaled strong premium therapy adoption in a mature market. In February 2026, Abbott India and Novo Nordisk entered a co-promotion agreement in India, showing how affordability-focused partnerships are being used to widen access in high-volume markets. Together, these developments make Asia-Pacific the main long-term expansion zone for the diabetes care drugs and devices market.

Europe remains a substantial part of the diabetes care drugs and devices market, supported by established reimbursement structures and specialist care networks in major countries. In 2025, MedTech Europe continued to highlight the operational strain tied to MDR recertification, and that pressure is carrying directly into the 2026 to 2027 renewal cycle. In July 2026, Diabeloop’s DBLG2 closed-loop system received CE Mark for initial launch in Germany, which showed that innovation in automated delivery was still moving forward despite the regulatory burden. South America remains more sensitive to affordability, while the Middle East and Africa show a split between stronger premium uptake in wealthier Gulf countries and slower progress in lower-income settings with procurement and logistics limits. This leaves the wider regional picture uneven, but still relevant for long-term expansion beyond the largest established markets.