Key facts and statistics for media

National Facts and Figures 2011  

• There are almost 280,000 Australians currently living with dementia
• Without a significant medical breakthrough, that is expected to soar to almost 1 million by 2050
• Each week, there are 1,600 new cases of dementia in Australia. That is expected to grow to 7,400 new diagnoses each week by 2050
• There are more than 16,000 people with younger onset dementia, that is people under the age of 65 years old
• Dementia is the third leading cause of death in Australia, after heart disease and stroke     
• One in four people over the age of 85 have dementia     
• Dementia is fatal and, as yet, there is no cure  
• Dementia has an impact on every part of the health and care system     
• The total estimated worldwide costs of dementia were US$604 billion in 2010     
• These costs account for about 1% of the world’s gross domestic product 
• If dementia were a country, it would be the world’s 18th largest economy    
• If it were a company, it would be the world’s largest, exceeding Wal-Mart (US$414 billion) and Exxon Mobil (US$311 billion)   
• Australia faces a shortage of more than 150,000 paid and unpaid carers for people with dementia by 2029      
• The cost of replacing all family carers with paid carers is estimated at $5.5 billion per annum      
• Dementia will become the third greatest source of health and residential aged care spending within two decades. These costs alone will be around 1% of GDP        
• By the 2060s, spending on dementia is set to outstrip that of any other health condition. It is projected to be $83 billion (in 2006-07 dollars), and will represent around 11% of the entire health and residential aged care sector spending      
• Dementia is already the single greatest cause of disability in older Australians (aged 65 years or older) 

What is dementia?

Dementia is the term used to describe the symptoms of a large group of illnesses which cause a progressive decline in a person’s functioning. It is a broad term used to describe a loss of memory, intellect, rationality, social skills and physical functioning. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for between 50 – 70% of all dementia cases.

Dementia can happen to anybody, but it is more common after the age of 65. However, people in their 30s, 40s and 50s can also have dementia.

Alzheimer’s Australia is the peak body for people with dementia and their families and carers. It provides advocacy, support services, education and information.