Australia faces rising dementia burden with over 1 million cases by 2065

Canberra, Sep 12
More than 1 million Australians are projected to have dementia by 2065, a government report said on Friday.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's updated Dementia in Australia report, the number is expected to more than double from about 425,000 people in 2024 to 1.1 million by 2065.

Women currently outnumber men with dementia, with 266,000 women and 159,000 men affected in 2024, rising to an estimated 662,000 women and 390,000 men by 2065, it said.

Dementia was the leading cause of death in Australia in 2023, accounting for about 17,400 deaths, including 10,900 women and 6,500 men, said the report, which includes Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, unspecified dementia, and other types such as Lewy body dementia.

Dementia Australia CEO Tanya Buchanan said the report, released in the lead-up to Dementia Action Week on September 15-21, reveals the enormous impact dementia has on Australian families.

The report highlights the vital role of carers, with about 42 per cent of primary carers of people with dementia providing at least 60 hours of care weekly in 2022, Xinhua news agency reported.

Dementia is not a single disease, but an umbrella term for a group of symptoms, such as problems with memory, thinking, reasoning, judgment, and behaviour, that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. It's caused by diseases that damage brain cells, and Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause. While memory loss is a common symptom, other signs include difficulty with language, personality changes, and problems with balance or completing daily tasks. Dementia is not a normal part of ageing, though it is more common in older people.

Dementia entails a decline in mental function from a previously higher level that’s severe enough to interfere with daily living. A person with dementia has two or more of these specific difficulties, including a decline in: Memory, reasoning, language, coordination, mood and behaviour.

About 5 per cent to 8 per cent of all people over the age of 65 have some form of dementia, and this number doubles every five years above that age. It’s estimated that as many as half of the people 85 years of age and older have dementia.