The diabetes market in France is expected to reach US$3.39bn in 2028 and expand at a rate of 2.75% over the next five years, according to a report from Research and Markets.
With a market of US$2.88bn in 2022, France has been witnessing an “alarming increase in the prevalence of diabetes among all ages in France over recent years”, the report from the international market research and market data company said.
The diabetes market focuses on the healthcare need for the treatment and management of diabetes. The France diabetes market is segmented mainly into self-monitoring of blood glucose (SBMG), continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and insulin pumps.
One in 10 people in France has diabetes, according to a survey by the EU Commission. But that is not the highest rate in Europe. Germany had the highest prevalence of diabetes in Europe among their adult population with 15.3% living with diabetes in 2019. Portugal followed with the second highest share at 14.2%. The country with the lowest rate of diabetes was Ireland at 4.4%.
Still, nearly a million people are diagnosed with diabetes in France, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). And diabetes has the highest prevalence among all chronic conditions in France.
Fast food feeding rise in diabetes
The increase in diabetes is attributed to a growing obese population, unhealthy diets, and sedentary lifestyles.
Some of that obesity could stem from a growing fondness for fast food – taking away from presumably healthier home-cooked meals. American fast-food chain McDonald’s is a case in point.
In 2020, the fast-food chain with the best coverage in France was McDonald’s, according to Statista. In fact, France accounted for 1,530 McDonald’ restaurants on its territory that year. France had more McDonald’s restaurants than any other European county, with Germany running second at just over 1,400 and the UK third at about 1,300.
France’s statutory health insurance (SHI) covers 100% of the costs associated with diabetes, and the number of covered patients has doubled in the past 10 years.
Increasing demand for monitoring devices
Research and Markets states that “There is an increasing demand for diabetes monitoring devices due to favourable reimbursement policies, a large population of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes, and the introduction of new products by industry players”.
SMBG is considered an essential element of daily diabetes management. Self-monitoring of blood sugar is a technique wherein individuals measure their blood sugar levels with the help of a glucose meter. It is sub-segmented into blood glucose meters, testing strips, and lancets.
The testing strips segment made up the largest revenue share due to the high usage of these strips and their affordability.
“France insurance covers for Type 2 diabetes population up to 200-400 test strips in a year and for Type 1 diabetes population, it covers approximately 3,000 test strips in a year,” the report said.
“The French government has recognised the critical role of the patient in managing chronic diseases such as diabetes.”
CGM may see most growth
But it is CGM-systems such as FreeStyle Libre, which are expected to have the most growth.
“The introduction of cutting-edge technology, such as CGM systems by market players, has made real-time monitoring possible for patients with Type-2 diabetes or insulin-dependent patients,” the report states.
“Additionally, CGM systems have several advantages over other devices, offering real-time tracking, being less invasive, and providing quick and accurate data.
“These distinctive benefits contribute immensely to increasing the patients’ and healthcare professionals’ understanding of CGM and its devices. For instance, according to the data statistics provided by Abbott, the number of FreeStyleLibre users increased from 3 million in 2020 to 4 million in 2021.
“As a result, the increased use of continuous glucose monitoring devices in various sectors will stimulate growth over the forecasted time frame,” the report said.