Previous and future IDF Congresses
From the first meeting in Leiden in 1952 to Montreal in 2009 the congress is held every three years. As from 2011 the World Diabetes Congress will become a biennial event to meet the demand of what has become one of the most challenging health problems in the 21st century.
| Congress Date | Location | Region | Chair of OC | Triennium | IDF Presidents | |
| 1st | 7-12 Jul 1952 | Leiden, The Netherlands | EUR | Robin D. Lawrence | 1950-1952 | Robin D. Lawrence, UK |
| 2nd | 4-8 Jul 1955 | Cambridge, UK | EUR | Robin D. Lawrence | 1952-1955 | Robin D. Lawrence, UK |
| 3rd | 21-25 Jul 1958 | Düsseldorf, Germany | EUR | Karl Oberdisse | 1955-1958 | Robin D. Lawrence, UK |
| 4th | 10-14 Jul 1961 | Geneva, Switzerland | EUR | Eric Martin | 1958-1961 | Joseph P. Hoet, Belgium |
| 5th | 20-24 Jul 1964 | Toronto, Canada | NA | Charles H. Best | 1961-1964 | Howard F. Root, USA |
| 6th | 30 Jul-4 Aug 1967 | Stockholm, Sweden | EUR | Rolf Luft | 1964-1967 | Howard F. Root, USA |
| 7th | 23-28 Aug 1970 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | SACA | Virgilio G. Foglia | 1967-1970 | Rachmiel Levine, USA |
| 8th | 15-20 Jul 1973 | Brussels, Belgium | EUR | Paul A. Bastenie | 1970-1973 | Frank G. Young, UK |
| 9th | 31 Oct-5 Nov 1976 | New Delhi, India | SEA | Jasbir S. Bajaj | 1973-1976 | Rolf Luft, Sweden |
| 10th | 9-14 Oct 1979 | Vienna, Austria | EUR | Werner Waldhäusl | 1976-1979 | Rolf Luft, Sweden |
| 11th | 10-17 Nov 1982 | Nairobi, Kenya | AFR | Eric Mngola | 1979-1982 | Albert.E.Renold, Switzerland |
| 12th | 23-28 Sept 1985 | Madrid, Spain | EUR | Manuel Serrano Rios | 1982-1985 | Leo P. Krall, USA |
| 13th | 20-25 Nov 1988 | Sydney, Australia | WP | John R. Turtle | 1985-1988 | Jasbir S. Bajaj, India |
| 14th | 23-28 Jun 1991 | Washington DC, USA | NA | Harold Rifkin | 1988-1991 | Joseph P. Hoet, Belgium |
| 15th | 6-11 Nov 1994 | Kobe, Japan | WP | Shigeaki Baba | 1991-1994 | Wendell Mayes, Jr, USA |
| 16th | 20-25 Jul 1997 | Helsinki, Finland | EUR | Marja R. Taskinen | 1994-1997 | Jak Jervell, Norway |
| 17th | 5-10 Nov 2000 | Mexico City, Mexico | NA | Fernando Lavalle | 1997-2000 | Maria L. de Alva, Mexico |
| 18th | 24-29 Aug 2003 | Paris, France | EUR | Gérard Cathelineau | 2000-2003 | Sir George Alberti, UK |
| 19th | 3-7 Dec 2006 | Cape Town, South Africa | AFR | Sir George Alberti | 2003-2006 | Pierre Lefèbvre, Belgium |
| 20th | 18-22 Oct 2009 | Montréal, Canada | NA | Linda Siminerio | 2006-2009 | Martin Silink, Australia |
| 21st | 4-8 Dec 2011 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | MENA | Abdullah Bennakhi | 2009-2012 | Jean Claude Mbanya, Cameroon |