Who dies of dementia & Alzheimer's?
In the median of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age, 4.6% of men and 9.5% of women eventually die of dementia & Alzheimer's. It is the most likely cause of death in 84 of their 1,152 country, sex and age groups.
The risk by age
Chance of dying of dementia & Alzheimer's within 10 years, and its share of all the risk at that age — the median of 36 countries. Your own country's numbers are one click away on its page.
| Age | men | women |
|---|---|---|
| 15–19 | 0% (0% of the risk) | 0% (0% of the risk) |
| 20–24 | 0% (0% of the risk) | 0% (0% of the risk) |
| 25–29 | 0% (0% of the risk) | 0% (0% of the risk) |
| 30–34 | 0% (0% of the risk) | 0% (0% of the risk) |
| 35–39 | 0% (0% of the risk) | 0% (0% of the risk) |
| 40–44 | <0.01% (0.03% of the risk) | <0.01% (0.04% of the risk) |
| 45–49 | <0.01% (0.11% of the risk) | <0.01% (0.19% of the risk) |
| 50–54 | 0.02% (0.31% of the risk) | 0.02% (0.53% of the risk) |
| 55–59 | 0.06% (0.56% of the risk) | 0.05% (1.0% of the risk) |
| 60–64 | 0.18% (1.1% of the risk) | 0.15% (1.9% of the risk) |
| 65–69 | 0.45% (2.0% of the risk) | 0.47% (3.6% of the risk) |
| 70–74 | 1.2% (3.4% of the risk) | 1.4% (6.0% of the risk) |
| 75–79 | 2.6% (5.2% of the risk) | 3.3% (9.0% of the risk) |
| 80–84 | 4.6% (6.6% of the risk) | 6.4% (11% of the risk) |
| 85–89 | 6.1% (7.0% of the risk) | 9.8% (12% of the risk) |
| 90–94 | 6.5% (6.8% of the risk) | 12% (13% of the risk) |
Where it's the most likely cause of death
- Men 75–79: Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway
- Men 80–84: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom
- Men 85–89: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom
- Men 90–94: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom
- Women 65–69: Finland
- Women 70–74: Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
- Women 75–79: Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway and 5 more
- Women 80–84: Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway and 6 more
- Women 85–89: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and 5 more
- Women 90–94: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and 5 more
Lifetime chance, men: highest and lowest countries
Lifetime chance, women: highest and lowest countries
What changes the odds
What you can do
- Treat high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
- Use hearing aids if you need them, and have your eyesight checked.
- Stay physically, mentally and socially active.
- Don't smoke, keep alcohol low, and protect your head — helmets on bikes and in sport.
Act fast: Memory problems that affect daily life: see a doctor — some causes are treatable.
Sources: Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care (2024). General guidance, not medical advice.
Embed this on your site
Free to use with the link back. The image updates when the data does.
Related: Parkinson's disease · Other neurological disease (e.g. epilepsy)
Questions
- At what age is dementia & Alzheimer's most likely to be the cause of death?
- For men, dementia & Alzheimer's takes its largest share of deaths at 85–89: 7.0% of the risk of dying in the next 10 years, in the median of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age.
- Which country has the highest risk of dying of dementia & Alzheimer's?
- Of the 36 countries that publish causes of death by age, Finland has the highest lifetime chance of dying of dementia & Alzheimer's for men (16%), and Moldova the lowest (0%).
Computed by Odainn from official mortality statistics (Eurostat; ONS, NRS and NISRA; CDC; Statistics Canada) for 36 countries, latest years — how we calculate. Belarus is left out: deaths by cause and age aren't published together there, so the split by cause is our estimate. Population statistics, not a prediction for any individual. Educational, not medical advice.