Almost 10 years after the Saint Vincent declaration, a large effort was undertaken in France to improve medical care of type 2 diabetes and to limit the dreadful complications of this pathology. As expert recommendations grow in number, it appears necessary to update knowledge on the epidemiological, medical care, and cost aspects of this illness in France. In this aim, a systematic review of the medical and economic literature on type 2 diabetes was performed. Prevalence of type 2 diabetes probably reaches 2.2% in the general population, which represents 1.3 million people in France. Among these people, almost 60% are overweighted, 50% suffer high blood pressure and 30% have a treated dyslipaemia. Coronary pathologies concern 20% to 30% of type 2 diabetes patients, neuropathies 10% to 30% and ocular problems 10% to 35%. Medical care consumption of type 2 diabetes patients probably represents almost 20,000 FF per patient and per year, i.e., twice the average medical care consumption in the French population. Yet, these estimates should be considered with caution since a lot of uncertainty remains on the epidemiological, medical care, and cost aspects of type 2 diabetes in France. As diabetes has become a national public health priority, it is important to initiate new studies to have precise indicators in these different fields.