Dementia in Australia Report

Dementia in Australia has been released by the AIHW today. In 2011, there were an estimated 298,000 people with dementia, 62% of whom were women. This number is expected to increase markedly over time, with projections suggesting it will reach around 400,000 by 2020 and 900,000 by 2050. Dementia is a leading cause of death and burden of disease, accounting for 6% of all deaths in 2010, and for people over 65, being the second leading cause of overall burden of disease. The total direct health and aged care services expenditure on people with dementia was at least $4.9 billion in 2009-10, and it is estimated that there are around 200,000 informal carers of people with dementia living in the community.