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From 1980 to 1989, 4852 diabetic patients in Denmark underwent 5642 lower limb amputations. Records of the Danish Amputation Register and the National Patient Register indicate a decrease of amputations in diabetics from 681 to 463 per year in this time. There has also been a decrease in above knee amputations in diabetics from 30 to 20 percent of all amputations with a corresponding increase of amputations at or below the knee. Demographic factors and possible reasons for these changes are reviewed. There seems to be a relationship between the improvement of diabetic foot care by the free service of trained podiatrists and the reduction of amputations in diabetics in Denmark.