About Dementia

Statistics and predictions

According to a World Health Organization (WHO.org) report in 2020, some 50 million people around the world currently have dementia, with nearly 60% living in low- and middle-income countries. Every year, there are nearly 10 million new cases – as the WHO notes, one every 3 seconds.

The estimated proportion of the general population aged 60 and over with dementia at a given time is between 5-8%. The total number of people with dementia is projected to reach 82 million in 2030 and 152 million in 2050.

While studies in South Africa have been limited and small, the 2016 World Alzheimer’s Report [1] estimated that there were 4.4 million people over the age of 60 years living in South Africa, with approximately 187,000 living with dementia. This number is predicted to rise to 250,000 by 2030, with a concurrent increase in the number of older people (60 years plus) to 7 million.

2030 is just nine years away. It’s highly likely that someone you love will be affected by frailty, forgetfulness and/or dementia – and that a family member will be required to care for them.

References

[1] Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) (2016) World Alzheimer Report, 2016: Improving healthcare for people living with dementia. [Google Scholar] [Ref list]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5676974/#ref001