In 2021, there is an estimated 472,000 Australians live with dementia. This number is currently estimated to increase to over one million by 2058.
The figures associated with Alzheimer’s, while alarming, don’t reflect the true number of people impacted by the disease and can’t express the challenges a family goes through in living through their loved one’s diagnosis. They can however highlight the urgent need to find a cure or treatment.
- In 2018, dementia was estimated to cost Australia more than $15 billion.
- By 2025, the total cost of dementia is predicted to increase to more than $18.7 billion in today’s dollars, and by 2056, to more than $36.8 billion
- Dementia is the single greatest cause of disability in older Australians (aged 65 years or older) and the third leading cause of disability burden overall
- People with dementia account for 52% of all residents in residential aged care facilities
In 2016 dementia became the leading cause of death among Australian females, surpassing heart disease which has been the leading cause of death for both males and females since the early 20th century. In 2017, dementia remained the first leading cause of death in females, and the third leading cause of death in males. Overall, accounting for 13,729 deaths.
Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to an estimated 590,000 by 2028 and 1,076,000 by 2058.
