Report: Dementia is Australia's leading cause of death

An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report updated on 12 September — in the lead-up to Dementia Action Week (15–21 September) — reveals dementia is Australia’s leading cause of death. According to the report, in 2023 dementia accounted for close to 17,400 deaths (or 9.5% of all deaths). It was the leading cause of death for women and the second leading cause for men, after coronary heart disease. From 2009 to 2023, the number of deaths due to dementia increased from 8500 deaths to 17,400 deaths.

The report also states that dementia is a leading cause of burden of disease. In 2024, it was the second leading cause of burden of disease in Australia, behind coronary heart disease. Dementia was the leading cause of burden of disease for women, and for Australians aged 80 and over. The report also projects that more than one million Australians will have dementia by 2065 — with an estimated 425,000 Australians living with dementia in 2024.

Responding to the AIHW updated report, Dementia Australia CEO Professor Tanya Buchanan said: “These figures highlight just how many families are impacted by dementia across Australia. Most of us know someone who is or has been impacted by dementia,” adding: “People affected by dementia often tell us that friends and family drift away after a diagnosis, because they are unsure of how to interact.”

This year’s Dementia Action Week theme is ‘Nobody can do it alone’ and, Buchanan said, it’s a challenge to Australians to reconnect with someone impacted by dementia — to help combat the high levels of social isolation many experience. “We don’t have time to feel uncomfortable or awkward about these conversations about dementia — we need to have them now.

“We have to pull together as a community to do this. We can’t do it alone as individuals, the government can’t do it alone, we need to all act together.”

With reference to the Dementia in Australia report, Dementia Australia said it revealed that 43% of the dementia burden in Australia can be attributed to six modifiable risk factors: being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure in midlife, smoking, and impaired kidney function.

“With dementia now the leading cause of death for Australians it is more pressing than ever that the federal government commit to funding a national conversation on dementia to raise awareness and promote brain health at all ages,” Buchanan said.

“By taking a comprehensive approach to addressing dementia, we can reduce the impact of dementia into the future. With aged care across the country already under pressure, and the number of people living with dementia expected to exceed 1 million by 2065, we simply cannot afford to wait. We call on the government to take decisive action. People living with dementia, their families and carers are depending on us to do this right, and to do it now.”

Published as a web report since 2021, the Dementia in Australia report is updated regularly to include the latest data from a range of sources. It is available here, via the AIHW website.

Dementia Action Week resources are available here, via the Dementia Australia website.

If this story has prompted any questions or concerns, please call the National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500 (24 hours, 7 days a week) or visit dementia.org.au.

Image credit: iStock.com/seb_ra