Alzheimer's & Dementia
Global mortality data, country rankings, and trends for Alzheimer's & Dementia from 1990 to 2021.
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Alzheimer's & Dementia is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. This page presents data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease Study, showing mortality trends, country rankings, and regional patterns. Understanding the epidemiology of alzheimer's & dementia helps inform public health interventions and resource allocation.
This data is sourced from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, processed via Our World in Data. Values represent each cause's share of total deaths (%) unless otherwise noted. Explore related mortality data using the links below.
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias affect over 55 million people globally and cause approximately 1.8 million deaths per year, making dementia one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. Alzheimer's disease, characterised by the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles, accounts for 60-70% of dementia cases. Age is the strongest risk factor: prevalence doubles approximately every five years after age 65. Other risk factors include genetic susceptibility (APOE4), cardiovascular risk factors, low educational attainment, social isolation, depression, hearing loss, and traumatic brain injury. With population ageing accelerating globally, dementia prevalence is projected to reach over 150 million by 2050. High-income countries carry the highest age-specific mortality rates due to better ascertainment, but the fastest growth is in low- and middle-income countries where diagnostic and care infrastructure is weakest. Dementia imposes enormous social and economic costs on caregivers and health systems, estimated at over $1.6 trillion annually.
Across 210 countries, alzheimer's & dementia accounts for an average of 3.1% of total deaths. Regional disparities are substantial: North America has the highest regional average at 5.7%, while Sub-Saharan Africa records the lowest at 1.3% — a 4.5-fold difference that underscores the geographic inequality in alzheimer's & dementia mortality burden.
The 2020 Lancet Commission on dementia identified twelve modifiable risk factors that together account for approximately 40% of dementia cases: less education, hypertension, hearing impairment, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, low social contact, excessive alcohol use, traumatic brain injury, and air pollution. Addressing these risk factors across the life course offers the best current hope for prevention. Cognitive stimulation, physical exercise, social engagement, and cardiovascular risk factor management are all evidence-based approaches. Disease-modifying therapies targeting amyloid pathology are emerging but remain limited in efficacy and accessibility.