Facts and Figures

Key facts
  • Almost 70,000 Kiwis are living with dementia today
  • Almost 170,000 Kiwis are likely to be living with dementia by 2050
  • Four out of five New Zealanders know or have known someone living with dementia.
  • Dementia impacts more women than men – around 30% higher
  • The total cost of dementia to Aotearoa is now around $2.5b and will reach around $5.9b by 2050
  • Residential care currently accounts for around half of the economic cost of dementia borne by government ($1.21b).
  • Dementia numbers are increasing at a faster rate among Māori, Pasifika and Asian populations than those of European New Zealanders.
  • Care partners provide over 1 million hours of unpaid care every week.

 

Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia
  • There are over 50 million people worldwide living with dementia in 2020.
  • This number will almost double every 20 years, reaching 82 million in 2030 and 152 million in 2050.
  • Much of the increase will be in developing countries. Already 60% of people with dementia live in low and middle income countries, but by 2050 this will rise to 71%.
  • The fastest growth in the elderly population is taking place in China, India, and their south Asian and western Pacific neighbours.
  • Source: Alzheimer’s Disease International
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