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Dementia is a significant and growing health and aged care issue in Australia that has a substantial impact on the health and quality of life of people with the condition, as well as for their family and friends. This online report provides a comprehensive picture of dementia in Australia, including the latest statistics on dementia prevalence, burden of disease, deaths, expenditure, as well as the use of health and aged care services among people with dementia and information on carers of people with dementia.

  • Cat. no: DEM 2

Dementia in Australia: 2022 Summary

The Dementia in Australia: 2022 Summary report presents a snapshot of key findings from the Dementia in Australia online report as at December 2022.

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Contents of this report:


Latest dementia statistics:

In 2022, it is estimated that 401,300 Australians are living with dementia
Dementia prevalence rates among Indigenous Australians is estimated to be 3–5 times as high as the rate for Australians overall
Dementia was the 2nd leading cause of death in Australia in 2021
In 2022, dementia was the 2nd leading cause of burden of disease in Australia
Around 2 in 3 Australians with dementia were living in the community in 2022
54% of people living in permanent residential aged care had dementia in 2021–22
$3 billion of Australia’s health and aged care expenditure was spent directly on dementia in 2018–19
Half of unpaid carers of people with dementia provide on average 60+ hours of care every week


Australian stories about living with dementia:

Carrie's story A diagnosis of dementia can impact the affected person, their friends, families and carers. Read Carrie's story about becoming a carer to her husband, while also raising a young family. Martina's story Living with the early stages of dementia can be challenging. Read about Martina's experience with being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and how her life has changed since. Len's story Dementia has a deep impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Learn about Len, an Aboriginal elder, who returned to his community after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Lucy's story Dementia can also impact young people. Lucy shares how she is able to keep doing what she enjoys after being diagnosed with a rare type of dementia common in her family. Jim's story Many people with dementia prefer to live independently in the community. Jim has Alzheimer’s disease and lives at home on his own. Read about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected him, his family and the services he receives.
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