Dementia cases rise globally

The world saw 11.4 million new cases of dementia in 2023, increasing the total number of people living with dementia to 57 million. This figure comes from a study published in JAMA Neurology by researchers at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at the University of New South Wales.

Study uses global data

The study is the first to provide a global, harmonized count of new dementia cases. It analyzed data from 22 population studies across 18 countries and territories, following 38,418 people, of whom 3,001 developed dementia. The total follow-up time for these participants exceeded 287,000 person-years.

Incidence rate identified

The study calculated a global incidence rate of 9.7 new dementia cases per 1,000 person-years. This rate accounts for age and sex differences, making it a more accurate measure of how often dementia occurs in the population compared to prevalence, which simply counts how many people currently have dementia.

Future projections outlined

Researchers used their findings to project that nearly 24.7 million people could develop dementia each year by 2050. This estimate is based on expected population aging and current trends in dementia incidence.

Burden falls unevenly

The study highlights that women and people in poorer countries are already experiencing the greatest impact of dementia. These groups are expected to bear the heaviest burden as the number of cases continues to rise.