Reports and statistics

Dementia Economic Impact Report 2012

The following statistics were taken from the Dementia Economic Impact Report 2011

In New Zealand

In 2011, 48,182 New Zealanders had dementia – 1.1% of the New Zealand (NZ) population.  This has increased over 18% in three years, from 40,746 people in 2008.

The majority (60%) of people with dementia are female – 28,864 NZ women have dementia compared to 19,318 NZ men.  This is due to women living longer than men on average, and due to the prevalence rate of dementia being higher for women than men in age groups over 75 years.  There were an estimated 13,486 new case of dementia in 2011, with the incident proportions of males and females similar to those for prevalence.

By 2050, 147,359 New Zealanders will have dementia – over 2.6% of the population, and more than triple current numbers.

Of the total, 87,145 (59%) will be female and 60,214 (41%) male.  Annual incidence (onset) of dementia will also more than triple, to 41,088 new cases by the year 2050. 

The World Alzheimer Report 2011 revealed that in countries like New Zealand, only 60% of cases are diagnosed/documented. This means that there is potentially a further 40% of people with dementia in New Zealand that have not yet been diagnosed – making the numbers above significantly higher.

The total financial cost of dementia in 2011 was estimated as $954.8 million.

The informal value of carers, who are removed fully or partially from the workforce to care for someone with dementia was estimated at $37.7 million.

Click here for the executive summary of the Dementia Economic Impact Report 2011

Click here for the Dementia Economic Impact Report 2008

World Alzheimers Report 2009

According to the World Alzheimer Report 2009

In 2010, 35.6 million people had dementia worldwide.

This number is estimated to nearly double every 20 years, to 65.7 million in 2050.

Dementia as a national health care priority. The number of people with dementia is rising. It's time to do more about the human and economic and social impact of this debilitating disease. Alzheimers New Zealand calls on the government to commit to a national dementia strategy to commit to developing and funding a national dementia strategy that will:

• Improve diagnosis and management of dementia.
• Provide appropriate services to all people with dementia.
• Provide support for people with dementia and their carers.
• Develop the workforce to deliver quality dementia care.
• Increase dementia research and the evaluation of dementia practices.

To read more, please click here for the New Zealand 2008 Dementia Manifesto