Dying due to or with dementia
The discussion about dementia deaths among Australians has so far been restricted to deaths due to dementia, that is, where dementia was recorded as the underlying cause of death. In addition to the underlying cause of death, the National Mortality Database contains information on up to 19 associated causes of death – that is, other causes that were instrumental or significantly contributed to the death. Given that people with dementia often have other health conditions and there can only be one underlying cause of death recorded, it is important to also account for all other cases where Australians died with dementia (where dementia was recorded as an associated cause of death).
In 2023, around 32,400 people died due to or with dementia (just over 18,900 women and around 13,500 men), meaning that 1 in 6 deaths in 2023 were related to dementia. Of these, around 17,400 people died due to dementia (nearly 10,900 women and just over 6,500 men), including almost 590 deaths where dementia was listed as both an underlying and associated cause of death. In comparison, around 15,000 people died with dementia listed as an associated cause of death (over 8,000 women and nearly 7,000 men) (Table S3.7).
Leading underlying causes of death
In 2023, the leading underlying causes of death for people who had dementia recorded as an associated cause of death were:
- coronary heart disease (over 1,900 deaths)
- cerebrovascular disease (almost 1,500 deaths)
- COVID-19 (around 1,200 deaths)
- accidental falls (almost 1,100 deaths)
- diabetes (around 1,000 deaths)
The leading underlying causes of death for people who died with dementia as an associated cause of death were fairly similar for men and women, and coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes and COVID-19 were common causes of death in all age groups. There was some variation with age, for example, Accidental falls were more common with increasing age, whereas deaths due to Parkinson disease were less common with increasing age (Figure 3.7, Table S3.8).
Causes of death for some age groups have the same rank, for example, for women aged 65-74 with dementia as an associated cause of death, cerebrovascular disease and diabetes were the joint leading underlying cause of death (Figure 3.7). Refer to Younger onset and childhood dementias for a discussion of causes of death among people aged less than 65.
Figure 3.7: Leading 5 underlying causes of death where dementia was an associated cause of death in 2023, by age and sex
This figure shows the top 5 underlying causes of death in Australia by age and sex in 2023, when dementia was an associated cause of death.
Note: Some of the causes of death for persons and women aged less than 65 or for women aged 65–74 have the same rank.
Dying due to dementia compared to dying with dementia as an associated cause between 2014 and 2023
Since 2014 there have been more deaths due to dementia (where dementia was the underlying cause of death) compared to deaths with dementia (where dementia was an associated cause of death, Figure 3.8; Table S3.9).
While deaths due to dementia have mostly increased since 2014, deaths with dementia decreased between 2017 and 2020 before beginning to increase again until 2022. The number of deaths due to dementia was notably lower in 2023 than in 2022.
The trends in dementia deaths between 2020 and 2023 follow what was observed for all deaths over this period (AIHW 2025). The increase in deaths between 2020 and 2022 is likely the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the decrease between 2022 and 2023 may indicate a return to pre-pandemic trends.
While we cannot be certain why the rate of deaths with dementia (where dementia was an associated cause of death) decreased during the period 2017 to 2020, it may be due to various factors:
- Australians are living longer and are more likely to be dying from dementia than from other conditions. Notably, there have been decreases in fatal heart attacks and strokes over time. This is resulting in dementia being increasingly attributed as the underlying cause of death, whereas in the past it was more likely to be recorded as an associated cause of death, or not recorded at all.
- Over time, dementia awareness could have significantly improved among health professionals who record and code cause of death information, leading to an increase in dementia being recorded as the underlying cause of death, rather than an associated cause of death.
- Changes to coding rules implemented from 2013 have meant that Unspecified dementia is more likely to be recorded as the underlying cause of death rather than as an associated cause of death among people who die of dementia and other specific conditions (including Pneumonitis due to food and vomit). This resulted in an increase in the number of deaths with Unspecified dementia as an underlying cause (ABS 2015).
Since 2020 and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, if COVID-19 is certified on the Medical Certificate as the cause of death, it is recorded as the underlying cause of death unless there is a clear different causal pathway. In 2020, the rate of dementia deaths was lower than previous years (Figure 3.8), likely associated with reduced transmission of other common respiratory diseases (AIHW 2021). Between 2020 and 2022, people with dementia who died due to COVID-19 would have dementia recorded as an associated cause of death. In 2022, where dementia was an associated cause of death, COVID-19 became the leading underlying cause of death for the first time (AIHW 2024). In 2023, COVID-19 was the third leading underlying cause of death where dementia was recorded as an associated cause of death.
For more information on COVID-19 and dementia see Dementia deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.
Figure 3.8: Dementia deaths in Australia between 2014 and 2023: number, crude rate and age-standardised rate, by whether death was due to or with dementia
The line chart shows the number and rates of death between 2014 to 2023 by deaths due to or with dementia, where the rate for deaths due to dementia is the same or higher compared to deaths with dementia.
Notes:
- Age-standardised rates due to dementia between 2014–2023 represent the number of deaths per 100,000 population, and have been directly age-standardised to the 2001 Australian Standard Population by 5-year age group up to age 95+.
- Deaths due to dementia refers to deaths where dementia was recorded as the underlying cause of death. It includes deaths where dementia was listed as both an underlying and associated cause of death.
- Deaths with dementia refers to deaths where dementia was listed as an associated cause of death. Deaths where dementia was listed as both an associated and underlying cause of death are not included.
- Deaths are counted according to year of death registration. Deaths registered in 2020 and earlier are based on the final version of cause of death data; deaths registered in 2021 are based on the revised version; and deaths registered in 2022 and 2023 are based on the preliminary version. Revised and preliminary versions are subject to further revision by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2015) Causes of death, Australia, 2013, ABS website, accessed 11 July 2022
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2021) Dementia deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 22 August 2024.
AIHW (2024) Dementia in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 18 June 2025.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2025) Deaths in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 28 July 2025