Summary of all indicators
There are currently data available to report on 53 indicators (Table A1). Baseline values below represent the situation at the start of the Action Plan. Data development is needed to track some measures of progress where there are limited or no indicators available. In future years, data will be updated to assess if indicators are improving over time and Table A1 will take the shape of a monitoring dashboard.
Follow the links in Table A1 below or use the side menu to explore indicators under each of the 8 actions.
The reported data come from many different sources, including information collected by:
- Australian, state, and territory government departments and agencies as part of the services they provide
- organisations that specialise in supporting people living with dementia
- surveys and clinical quality registries.
For some of these sources, new data are available multiple times each year. For others, new data are only available once a year. Then there are some sources where it may be several years before new data can be provided – this tends to be where the data come from sources such as big national surveys.
Other measures that require future data development will also be added when these developments are complete. Over the life of the Action Plan, governments will need to work together to create and improve data so all measures can be reported. The AIHW is working with other organisations to reduce dementia data gaps through a National Dementia Data Improvement Plan 2023–2034, and as new and better data become available, they will be included in this web report.
This web report brings together various data to track the progress of the Action Plan, with the aim to report at least one indicator for each measure of progress. Measures of progress are part of the Action Plan and are broad statements on how governments will assess if the Action Plan is meeting its objectives.
For some measures there are no current data available and/or available data does not provide a complete picture of how that measure is tracking.
The completeness and availability of data for each measure of progress is categorised as:
- Satisfactory data available
- Some data available, development underway
- Some data available, further development needed
- Data not currently available, development underway
- Data not currently available, development needed
For measures with ‘some data available’, data gaps may include:
- not having national coverage (for example, they are focused on metropolitan areas)
- data are not available for priority populations (such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people)
- data only reflect users of specific services, and not the broader population
- data provide some insights but do not specifically address the measure of progress.
Where ‘data development is underway’, the AIHW expects to be able to include new or better information in future updates of this report. For example, data from the recently conducted Living With Dementia Survey may inform a number of measures of progress.
Detailed information on data availability and completeness is included in the webpages for each action.
Refer to the National Dementia Data Improvement Plan 2023–2034 for a current list of activities needed to improve Australia’s data on dementia.
Measure of progress | Indicator | Baseline value | Baseline timepoint | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development underway | |
1.2 Supported decision making3 | 1,325* | 2023–24 | Dementia Australia | |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed | |
1.4 Dementia services in rural areas2 | 20* | 2024 | ADNeT Registry | |
1.4 Dementia services in rural areas2 | 595* | 2024 | ADNeT Registry | |
1.4 Dementia services in rural areas2 | 6,200* | 2024 | DSA | |
1.4 Dementia services in rural areas2 | Number of people living in regional and remote areas who accessed Dementia Australia supports. | 18,385* | 2023–24 | Dementia Australia |
2.1 Stigma & attitudes1 | Average dementia stigma scores among Australians (using the Dementia Public Stigma Scale). | A score of 51 out of 112 | 2023 | Dementia Awareness Survey |
2.2 Dementia knowledge1 | Average dementia knowledge scores among Australians (using the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale). | A score of 21 out of 50 | 2023 | Dementia Awareness Survey |
2.3 Help-seeking & sharing a diagnosis1 | Proportion of Australians willing to seek help if they thought they had symptoms of dementia. | 49% would seek help immediately | 2023 | Dementia Awareness Survey |
2.3 Help-seeking & sharing a diagnosis1 | 96% | 2023 | Dementia Awareness Survey | |
2.4 Dementia-friendly communities1 | Number of dementia-friendly communities registered with Dementia Australia. | 191* | 2023–2024 | Dementia Australia |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development underway | |
3.1 Public knowledge on dementia risk reduction3 | A score of 11 out of 28 | 2023 | Dementia Awareness Survey | |
3.1 Public knowledge on dementia risk reduction3 | 53% agree | 2023 | Dementia Awareness Survey | |
– | – | – | Data not available, development needed | |
3.3 Actions taken to reduce dementia risk1 | 9 out of 14 | 2023 | Dementia Awareness Survey | |
3.3 Actions taken to reduce dementia risk1 | 83% agree | 2023 | Dementia Awareness Survey | |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed | |
4.2 Memory clinic assessments3 | Number of new participants who joined the Australia Dementia Network (ADNeT) Registry. | 2,619* | 2024 | ADNeT Registry |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed | |
4.4 Time from referral to assessment2 | 56%* | 2024 | ADNeT Registry | |
4.5 Time from symptom onset to diagnosis2 | 11%* | 2024 | ADNeT Registry | |
4.6 Chronic disease management3 | 48%^ | 2021–22 | NHDH | |
4.7 Diagnostic & post-diagnostic care experiences2 | 90%* | 2024 | ADNeT Registry | |
4.7 Diagnostic & post-diagnostic care experiences2 | 66%* | 2024 | ADNeT Registry | |
4.7 Diagnostic & post-diagnostic care experiences2 | Number of people who accessed post-diagnostic supports through Dementia Australia. | 2,394* | 2023–24 | Dementia Australia |
4.8 Supports for younger people3 | Number of approved NDIS plans for people living with younger onset dementia. | 9,646* | October–December 2024 | NDIS |
4.8 Supports for younger people3 | Number of people living with younger onset dementia referred to Dementia Support Australia (DSA). | 485* | 2024 | DSA |
5.1 Coordination of care2 | 48%* | 2024 | Carer Wellbeing Survey | |
5.2 Navigating access to services & supports2 | 47%* | 2024 | Carer Wellbeing Survey | |
5.2 Navigating access to services & supports2 | 65%* | 2024 | Carer Wellbeing Survey | |
5.2 Navigating access to services & supports2 | 31%* | 2024 | National Carer Survey | |
5.2 Navigating access to services & supports2 | 41%* | 2024 | National Carer Survey | |
5.2 Navigating access to services & supports2 | 23%* | 2024 | National Carer Survey | |
5.2 Navigating access to services & supports2 | 30%* | 2024 | National Carer Survey | |
5.3 Access to suitable services & supports for priority populations | – | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed | |
5.5 Medication reviews3 | 16%^ | 2021–22 | NHDH | |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development underway | |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed | |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development underway | |
5.9 Advance care planning & palliative care3 | 46%* | 2024 | Carer Wellbeing Survey | |
5.9 Advance care planning & palliative care3 | 84%* | 2024 | Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration | |
5.9 Advance care planning & palliative care3 | 80%* | 2024 | Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration | |
5.10 Culturally appropriate advance care planning & palliative care | – | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed |
6.1 Carer satisfaction with support services2 | 36%* | 2024 | Carer Wellbeing Survey | |
6.1 Carer satisfaction with support services2 | 23%* | 2024 | Carer Wellbeing Survey | |
6.1 Carer satisfaction with support services2 | Number of family and carers who receive support through Dementia Australia. | 10,163* | 2023–24 | Dementia Australia |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed | |
6.3 Respite services2 | 40%* | 2024 | Carer Wellbeing Survey | |
6.3 Respite services2 | Proportion of the National Health Data Hub (NHDH) dementia cohort who accessed respite care services | 13%^ | 2021–22 | NHDH |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed | |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed | |
6.6 Carer self-reported wellbeing2 | Proportion of carers of people living with dementia who were socially connected. | 25%* | 2024 | National Carer Survey |
6.6 Carer self-reported wellbeing2 | Proportion of carers of people living with dementia who experienced high personal wellbeing. | 16%* | 2024 | Carer Wellbeing Survey |
7.1–7.3 Dementia care training & capability3 | Proportion of aged care workers who completed dementia care training in the previous 12 months. | 32% | 2023 | 2023 Aged Care Provider Workforce Survey |
7.1–7.3 Dementia care training & capability3 | Number of students who completed a vocational training subject about dementia. | 52,175* | 2024 | NCVER |
7.1–7.3 Dementia care training & capability3 | Number of occasions of dementia training completed through Dementia Training Australia. | 30,955* | 2024 | Dementia Training Australia |
– | – | – | Data not currently available, development needed | |
8.1 Lived experience involvement1 | National research guidelines require lived experience involvement. | Partial achievement* | 2018–2024 for various guidelines | AIHW assessment of various Australian grant guidelines |
8.2 Australian dementia studies1 | 431* | 2024 | PubMed search of peer-reviewed articles | |
8.2 Australian dementia studies1 | 561* | 2024 | PubMed search of peer-reviewed articles | |
8.3 Dementia research grants1 | Number of government-funded dementia research grants approved. | 36* | 2024 | NHMRC, MRFF, ARC |
8.3 Dementia research grants1 | Value of government-funded dementia research grants approved. | $97.4 million* | 2024 | NHMRC, MRFF, ARC |
8.3 Dementia research grants1 | Value of dementia research grants as a proportion of all government-funded research. | 4.0%* | 2024 | NHMRC, MRFF, ARC |
8.4–8.5 Improved national dementia data1 | Better estimates of the number of people living with dementia. | Substantial limitations* | 2022–2024 | AIHW assessment of key data sources |
8.4–8.5 Improved national dementia data1 | Partial achievement* | 2022–2024 | AIHW assessment of key data sources | |
8.4–8.5 Improved national dementia data1 | Substantial limitations* | 2022–2024 | AIHW assessment of key data sources |
Notes on data availability and completeness:
- Satisfactory data available
- Some data available, development underway
- Some data available, further development needed
- Data not currently available, development underway
- Data not currently available, development needed.
For more information, see how data availability and completeness are assessed.
Notes on data status for this release:
* Updated data
^ New data
Abbreviations:
- ADNeT: Australian Dementia Network
- AIHW: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- ARC: Australian Research Council
- CALD: culturally and linguistically diverse
- DSA: Dementia Support Australia
- GP: general practitioner
- MRFF: Medical Research Future Fund
- NCVER: National Centre for Vocational Education Research
- NDIS: National Disability Insurance Scheme
- NHDH: National Health Data Hub
- NHMRC: National Health and Medical Research Council.