AIHW Dementia Report Sept2021

Dementia in Australia
2021
Summary report
This Summary report presents key findings
from the detailed Dementia in Australia online
compendium and covers a broad range of topics
including; prevalence estimates and projections,
mortality, burden of disease, care needs of people
with dementia, and their use of aged care and
health care services. The report also features
information on carers of people with dementia,
direct health and aged care system expenditure
for dementia and dementia among population
groups of interest.
aihw.gov.au
Stronger evidence,
better decisions,
improved health and welfare
2021
Summary report
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare is a major national agency
whose purpose is to create authoritative and accessible information and statistics
that inform decisions and improve the health and welfare of all Australians.
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ISBN 978-1-76054-903-9 (Online)

ISBN 978-1-76054-904-6 (Print)
DOI 10.25816/9wa9-ts39
Suggested citation
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2021. Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report. Cat. no. DEM 3. Canberra:
AIHW.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Board Chair
Mrs Louise Markus
Chief Executive Officer
Mr Rob Heferen
Any enquiries about or comments on this publication should be directed to:

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
GPO Box 570
Canberra ACT 2601
Tel: (02) 6244 1000
Email: info@aihw.gov.au
Published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Please note that there is the potential for minor revisions of data in this report.
Please check the online version at <www.aihw.gov.au> for any amendments.
Contents
Dementia in Australia at a glance............................................................................................................. iv
A personal account of living with dementia—Carrie and Dan’s story................................................. vi
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................. 1
In 2021, it’s estimated between 386,200 and 472,000 Australians have dementia ........................... 4
Dementia is the 2nd leading cause of death in Australia....................................................................... 6
Dementia is a leading cause of burden of disease.................................................................................. 7
How is dementia diagnosed? ..................................................................................................................... 8
Almost 64,600 people were dispensed scripts for dementia-specific medications in 2019–20 ....... 9
Around 23,200 hospitalisations were due to dementia in 2018–19..................................................... 10
How do people with dementia access aged care services? ................................................................. 12
More than half of people living in permanent residential aged care have dementia ..................... 13
$3 billion was spent directly on health and aged care services for dementia in 2018–19................ 14
Carers play a vital role in providing assistance and support to those with dementia..................... 15
How does dementia affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people? ........................................ 17
How does dementia affect other vulnerable population groups?....................................................... 19
How does dementia vary across Australia?............................................................................................ 20
Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................................... 22
Where can I find out more?....................................................................................................................... 23
References................................................................................................................................................... 24
Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report iii

Dementia in Australia at a glance
These dementia statistics are sourced from the latest available data in the respective data collections.
Living with dementia in 2021 S
It is estimated between The number of people

386,200 and 472,000 with dementia is
Australians are predicted to reach
living with dementia over 849,300 by 2058
1 in 12 Over 27,800 Australians P

Australians aged under 65 are h
living with younger fo
aged 65 and
over has onset dementia s
dementia 5
2 in 3 th
Australians a
with dementia
2 in 5 h
live in the Australians
aged 90 and
community
over have
dementia
Burden of disease and deaths due to dementia C
Dementia is the Overall, It

2nd leading cause dementia is 1
of death in Australia and the pe
leading cause of death for women 3rd leading Dementia is the ca
cause of leading cause
disease burden of disease
Dementia is the 5th leading in Australia burden
cause of death in Aboriginal in Australians
and Torres Strait Islander people aged 75 and
aged 65 and over over
iv Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report

Services and spending for dementia
Over half of people 623,300 scripts for dementia-

living in permanent specific medications were
residential aged care dispensed to almost
have dementia 64,600 Australians in 2019–20
Between 2012–13 and 2019–20

People
there was a 43% increase
hospitalised
in the number of scripts
for dementia
dispensed for
stayed dementia-specific
5 x longer 1 in 6 who medications
than the completed a
average comprehensive In 2018-19, $3 billion was
hospitalisation assessment to spent on health and aged care
ns use aged care directly for dementia;
services had
$1.7 billion was for
dementia
permanent residential
aged care
Caring for people with dementia
It is estimated between Half of

134,900 and 337,200 unpaid carers
people provide consistent unpaid provide on
the care for someone with dementia average 60+
use hours of care 1 in 4 primary
e every week carers reported
1 in 3 informal/unpaid that more
ns carers who also had jobs respite care
d reduced their working hours was needed to
to provide greater care support them
Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report v

A personal account of living with dementia—Carrie and
Dan’s story
Carrie* is 42. She has two kids aged 10 and 7,
and her husband (Dan) has dementia.
A few years ago, life for her family changed

dramatically when she noticed changes in her
husband’s behaviour. Dan seemed distant with
Carrie and their children. Close family members
thought Dan might be depressed but Carrie didn’t
think things were right.
One day, Dan couldn’t find words at all. They went

to see a neurologist and Dan was diagnosed with
younger onset frontotemporal dementia, which
affects a person’s behaviour and moods. Carrie
says most people don’t understand the type of dementia Dan has.
‘… they’re looking at him, he’s fit [and it doesn’t look] like [anything is] wrong ... It doesn’t make any
sense to people … they say he’s great. He’s talking really well. But they don’t see that he can go
3 days without saying a word to me or he hasn’t said my name in 6 months.’
Carrie and her family have faced many challenges since the diagnosis, and one of the hardest was telling
the kids.
‘You live with the uncertainty…of a prognosis. And you try and explain it… and their little hearts broke, I’ll
never forget it, it was devastating.’
Since his diagnosis, Dan left work and can no longer drive. Carrie now organises everything for the family
while also working full time. She took on the caring role because Dan is her husband. Carrie says:
‘We have 2 young children… I want them to see that… when you love someone you look after them and I
wouldn’t deny him the opportunity to see them for as long as he can...’
Carrie’s biggest support network has been her family, Dan’s parents, and Dementia Australia.
Carrie says when she sees other families doing ‘normal’ things—like going camping, riding bikes and kicking
the football with their children—she realises just how different her life is.
‘I would get really really cranky when you see a family at the park… kids are playing on the swings and the
dads [are] pushing them… I always thought he would make an awesome dad when they are teenagers
because he would take them skiing…I just imagined I could see him with the kids out in the snow … that just
can’t happen now…So it’s just changed things.’
But they are lucky, and lucky to be in a good financial situation.
‘We’ve done some bucket list trips and have some more planned and we’re making some great
memories for the kids. And it’s sort of fun to do that stuff when you are young rather than [in] your
60s or 70s… we have had a lovely life together and we will continue to have a lovely life together. This
has just thrown a bit of a curveball …so while it’s awful living with an uncertain prognosis, every day
we’re lucky. He’s still here and he gets to see the kids more and they get to see him and do things.’
* T his case study is based on an interview with a carer of person who has dementia. This personal account is not necessarily
representative of the circumstances of other carers or people with dementia or the challenges they may face, but it is our hope
that it will give readers a greater awareness and understanding of the diversity of people’s experiences with dementia.
Names and identifying characteristics have been changed. Image is not representative of the individuals in the story.
vi Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report

Introduction
Dementia is a leading cause of death and burden of disease in Australia. It is estimated that
between 386,200 and 472,000 Australians have dementia in 2021 and, with Australia’s ageing
population, this number is expected to rise to more than 849,300 by 2058. Although dementia can
affect people under 65 years of age, it primarily affects older Australians.
This Summary report presents some of the key findings and concepts from the Dementia in Australia
online compendium, which is available at https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dementia/dementia-in-
aus/contents/about.
Additional findings, interactive data and information about dementia, support services and aged
care programs can be found in the online report. Important information about data sources and
methodologies to derive statistics are also explained in the online report.
What is dementia?
Dementia is not a single specific condition. Rather, it is an umbrella
term for a large number of conditions that gradually impair brain
function. Dementia may result in impairments or changes with:
cognition, language, memory, perception, personality, behaviour,
and mobility and other physical impairments.
The likelihood of developing dementia increases with age but it is

not an inevitable part of ageing. Dementia that develops in people
aged under 65 is referred to as ‘younger onset dementia’.
To date, there is no known cure for dementia but there are
strategies to manage symptoms, which can help people with
dementia maintain independence and quality of life for as long as possible.
While the onset of dementia is typically gradual, the progression of dementia varies. It is often
described in terms of 3 stages:
• mild dementia—difficulties with a number of areas such as memory, planning, organisation

and personal care, but the person can still function with minimal assistance
• moderate dementia—difficulties become more severe and increasing levels of assistance are
required to help the person maintain functioning in their home and in the community
• severe or advanced dementia—almost total dependence on care and supervision by others.
The progression of dementia will vary from person to person due to: their personal
characteristics (such as their age and whether they have other health conditions), what type of
dementia they have, how severe it is and how old they were when they were diagnosed, and
their environment (such as whether they have suitable care arrangements and can access
health services).
Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report 1

Types of dementia
Identifying the type of dementia a person has at the time of diagnosis is important to ensure
they receive appropriate treatment and services, and are better informed about their condition,
treatments and prognosis. Having multiple types of dementia at once is common and is referred to
as ‘mixed dementia’.
The main types of dementia include:
•A
lzheimer’s disease
a degenerative brain disease caused by nerve cell death resulting in shrinkage of the brain
•V
ascular dementia
a disease that is mainly caused by issues with blood flow to the brain (such as a stroke) or bleeding
into or around the brain
•D
ementia with Lewy bodies
a disease caused by degeneration and death of nerve cells in the brain due to the presence of
abnormal spherical structures, called Lewy bodies, which develop inside nerve cells
•F
rontotemporal dementia
a disease that is caused by progressive damage to the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain.
Dementia is also associated with other conditions (such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease
and Down syndrome), prolonged substance abuse and severe brain injuries.
2 Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report

A number of factors may increase your risk of developing
dementia
Some risk factors for dementia cannot be avoided (such as ageing) but many others can be
minimised. Risk factors that can be avoided or reduced—such as physical inactivity—are called
modifiable risk factors. Risk factors that cannot be avoided are called non-modifiable risk factors.
Some modifiable risk factors may increase your risk of dementia at a specific stage in your life. For
example, high blood pressure is thought to be a risk factor for dementia only in mid-life (between
the ages of 35 and 64).
Modifiable risk factors

Hearing loss in
Depression Traumatic brain injury* Tobacco smoking
mid-life*
Low levels of education High blood pressure
Obesity in mid-life Social isolation
in early life in mid-life
Excessive alcohol
Diabetes Physical inactivity Air pollution
consumption
Atrial fibrillation*— High homocysteine levels—an amino acid due
High cholesterol
irregular heartbeat to protein breakdown
*Some but not all cases of hearing loss, atrial fibrillation and traumatic brain injury are potentially modifiable.
Non-modifiable risk factors
Age—the risk of developing dementia doubles Family history of the Genetic mutations
every 5 or 6 years for people aged over 65 condition
But you can reduce your risk of developing dementia by …

Undertaking regular Keeping mentally Eating a healthy, Reducing your
physical activity stimulated balanced diet alcohol intake
Maintaining an active Maintaining a Quitting smoking Managing health

social life healthy weight conditions

In 2021, it’s estimated between 386,200 and
472,000 Australians have dementia
Using the AIHW estimates for the number of people with dementia, nearly two-thirds of the 386,200
Australians with dementia in 2021 were women and one third were men (243,200 women and
143,000 men). Overall, this is equivalent to 15 people with dementia per 1,000 Australians (18 per
1,000 for women and 11 per 1,000 for men).
Number of people
Men Women
70K
60K
50K
40K
30K
20K
10K
0K
30–59 60–64 65–69 70–74 75–79 80–84 85–89 90+
Age
The number of people with dementia rises quickly with age. It is estimated that among Australians
in 2021:
• 1 in 12 Australians aged 65 and over have dementia

• 2 in 5 Australians aged 90 and over have dementia
Among Indigenous Australians, the rate of people with dementia is estimated to be 3–5 times as
high as the Australian population overall (Radford et al. 2017; Russell et al. 2020). See page 17 for
more information on dementia among Indigenous Australians.
Dementia data gaps

As there is no single authoritative data source that can provide an accurate estimate of the number
of Australians living with dementia, estimates vary substantially across studies and may differ to
what is shown in this report. This report presents the overall number of Australians with dementia
as a range—the minimum estimate was produced by AIHW and the maximum estimate produced
by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling. Detailed estimates by age and sex were
derived using AIHW prevalence estimates.
There is work underway to improve the accuracy of estimates of the number of Australians with
dementia and new approaches to determining dementia prevalence will likely supersede the
estimates shown in this report in coming years.

How do we compare with other countries?
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
estimated that 14.6 in every 1,000 Australians were living with dementia in
2019. Although the OECD dementia prevalence rates for Australia were similar
to the AIHW estimates presented in this report, it is important to remember
that different methodologies and data sources were used. The rate of
dementia in Australia ranked 17th lowest out of 36 countries. Mexico had the
lowest rate, at 7.6 per 1,000, population and Japan had the highest rate at 24.8 per 1,000 (OECD 2019).
Much of the variation in the rate of dementia across countries is due to their different population
age structures, with higher rates generally found in ageing OECD nations.
The number of Australians with dementia is predicted to

more than double by 2058
Dementia poses a substantial heath, aged care and social challenge, and with Australia’s ageing and
growing population, it is predicted to become an even bigger challenge in the future.
The number of Australians with dementia is predicted to more than double by 2058—from 386,200
in 2021 to 849,300 in 2058 (533,800 women and 315,500 men).
Number of people
Persons Females Males
900K
800K
700K
600K
500K
400K
300K
200K
100K
0K
2021 2026 2031 2036 2041 2046 2051 2056
Year
Until there is a cure or significant advancements in treatment, the best way to reduce the
prevalence of dementia in the future is to minimise exposure to risk factors that increase the
likelihood of developing dementia in later life (Livingston et al. 2017; Prince et al. 2014).
International studies have found that the rate of dementia is declining in countries where the
prevention and management of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease has improved in
recent years (Roehr et al. 2018). As Australia has improved cardiovascular disease treatment and
management, and reduced the prevalence of other major risk factors for dementia (such as tobacco
smoking), the rate of new cases of dementia may stabilise or fall in the future. As there are current
issues with monitoring the incidence of dementia in Australia, it is unclear whether incidence rates
of dementia in Australia have increased, stabilised or decreased over time.

Dementia is the 2nd leading cause of death
in Australia
Dementia was responsible for about 14,700 deaths in 2019—9.5% of all deaths that year. It was the
2nd leading cause of death in Australia, behind coronary heart disease and the leading cause of
death among women (around 9,200 deaths in 2019).
The number of deaths due to dementia increased from 9,200 deaths in 2010 to 14,700 deaths in
2019. The age-standardised rate, which accounts for differences in the age and sex structure of the
population, rose between 2010 and 2019, from 35 to 40 deaths per 100,000 Australians.
Number of deaths Deaths per 100,000

16K 45
Deaths per 100,000
14K 40
35
12K
Number of deaths 30
10K
25
8K
20
6K
15
4K
10
2K 5
0K 0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Year
How do deaths vary by age and sex?

Most deaths due to dementia occur among those aged 85–94, and the rate of deaths due to
dementia increases substantially with age.
In 2019, the rate of deaths due to dementia among those aged 75–79 was 167 deaths per 100,000
men and 155 deaths per 100,000 women respectively. This increased to about 3,600 and 5,300
deaths per 100,000 for men and women aged 95 and over, respectively.
Men Women
Number of deaths due to dementia in 2019* 5,400 9,200
Deaths due to dementia per 100,000

38 41
Australians in 2019
Proportion of all deaths in 2019 6.8 12.4
*Note that the number of deaths by sex does not add up to the number of deaths for all persons due to rounding.

Dementia is a leading cause of burden of
disease
Dementia was the 3rd leading cause of burden of disease in Australia in 2018, behind coronary
heart disease and back pain.
For Australians of all ages, dementia was the:
• 3rd leading cause of disease burden (198,000 DALY)

• 6th leading cause in men (75,300 DALY)
• Leading cause in women (122,600 DALY).
As the risk of developing dementia increases with age, the disease burden due to dementia is higher
for older Australians.
For Australians aged 75 and over, dementia was the leading cause of disease burden in women and
second leading cause of disease burden in men (behind coronary heart disease).
Of the disease burden due to dementia in Australia in 2018:
56% 44%
was from dying was from living with
prematurely dementia
The study also estimated the attributable burden from 6 established risk factors for dementia—
overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, tobacco smoking, high blood pressure in midlife, high
blood plasma glucose levels and impaired kidney function.
Around 43% of the overall dementia burden in 2018 could have been avoided if exposure to these 6
modifiable risk factors was avoided or reduced to the lowest level possible.
What is burden of disease?

• Burden of disease measures the combined impact of living with illness and injury (non-fatal
burden) and dying prematurely (fatal burden).
• Fatal and non-fatal burden are summed together to provide the total burden, measured using
disability-adjusted life years (DALY).
• 1 DALY is equivalent to 1 year of healthy life lost.
Preliminary findings from the Australian Burden of Disease Study 2018 are at available at
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/burden-of-disease/burden-of-disease-study-2018-key-findings/
contents/about.

How is dementia diagnosed?
There is no single conclusive test available to diagnose dementia, and obtaining a
diagnosis is often a long process that involves comprehensive cognitive and medical
assessments. It is important to diagnose dementia early, as it allows for timely access
to information and advice, as well as medical management and support services.
However, the time taken to receive a confirmed diagnosis varies depending on the
person’s symptoms and who is conducting the assessments.
General practitioners (GPs) are often the first point of contact when concerns are raised by the
patient or the patients’ carer, family or friends. If a GP suspects dementia, it is best practice for GPs
to refer patients to qualified specialists (such as a geriatrician or psycho-geriatrician) or memory
clinics for a more comprehensive assessment to take place.
Dementia data gaps

Currently, there is a lack of up-to-date and robust data on how many people are newly diagnosed
with dementia and how many GP and specialist services are used for dementia diagnosis and
management. This is because there are no national data on GP and specialist services in Australia
that include diagnostic information.
Our understanding of dementia in the GP and specialist settings remains a key data gap for
monitoring dementia in Australia.
Focus: Examining services claimed under the Medicare Benefits Schedule by

people with dementia
The AIHW examined services claimed under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) by over
137,000 Australians living with dementia in 2016–17. This was possible using linked health and
aged care data sets.
Service usage differed for those who were living in permanent residential aged care compared
with those living in the community, but only at older ages:
• for people aged under 80, the number of services used by people who were living in residential
aged care was fairly similar to the number used by people who were living in the community
• from age 80 onwards, the number of services used by people living in residential aged care was
greater than the number used by people living in the community.
The rate of services used by people with dementia living in residential aged care increased steeply
with age—from 45 services per 1,000 people among those ages 80–84 to 241 services per 1,000
people among those aged 95 or over.
Further details on this focused study can be found in the detailed Dementia in Australia online
report at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dementia/dementia-in-aus/contents/about.

Almost 64,600 people were dispensed scripts
for dementia-specific medications in 2019–20
While there is no cure for dementia, there are 4 medications available under the Pharmaceutical
Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS; for war veterans
and their dependants) that may help to manage symptoms and slow dementia progression.
In 2019–20, there were over 623,300 prescriptions dispensed for dementia-specific medications to
just under 64,600 Australians with dementia aged 30 and over. This is equivalent to 9.7 scripts per
person who was dispensed a script for dementia-specific medication. Each script is usually for a
month’s supply of medication.
Of the just under 64,600 Australians who were dispensed scripts for dementia-specific medications:
•1 in 3 were aged 85 or over

• 37,100 were women and they were dispensed 361,600 scripts
• 27,400 were men and they were dispensed 261,800 scripts
•4 in 5 were prescribed these scripts at least once by a GP.
The number of scripts dispensed for dementia-specific medications increased by 43% between
2012–13 and 2019–20. The increase was greater for men (51%) than women (37%).
What are dementia-specific medications?

Dementia-specific medications can only be prescribed to patients with a confirmed diagnosis of
Alzheimer’s disease made by a specialist or consultant physician under specific criteria.
Donepezil, Galantamine and Rivastigmine are used for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s
disease. They work by blocking the actions of the enzyme, acetylcholinesterase, which destroys
acetylcholine—a major neurotransmitter for memory. The use of these medicines may lead to
increased communication between nerve cells and slow dementia progression.
Memantine is used for moderately severe to severe Alzheimer’s disease. It works by blocking
the neurotransmitter, glutamate, which causes damage to brain cells and is present in high levels
in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Number of scripts dispensed in 2019–20:
Donepezil—409,500 scripts
Rivastigmine—76,100 scripts
Galantamine—74,500 scripts
Memantine—63,300 scripts

Dispensing of antipsychotics to people with dementia
People with dementia may experience changed behaviours, such as aggression, agitation and
delusions, commonly known as behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). It
is not recommended that medications are used to manage these symptoms, but antipsychotic
medications may be prescribed as a last resort. However, inappropriate prescribing of antipsychotic
medications is a major problem among people living in residential aged care and was a key issue
raised in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
In 2019–20, of the almost 64,600 Australians who were dispensed scripts for dementia-specific
medications:
1 in 5 were also dispensed antipsychotic medications

at least once that year
Around 39% of people with scripts dispensed for antipsychotic medications and dementia-specific
medications were supplied Risperidone (the only antipsychotic that is currently listed on the PBS for
BPSD) followed by Quetiapine (29%) and Olanzapine (24%).
Around 23,200 hospitalisations were due to

dementia in 2018–19
In 2018–19, there were around 23,200 hospitalisations due to dementia (which are hospital
admissions where dementia was the principal diagnosis, or the main reason for admission).
Of the 23,200 hospitalisations due to dementia:
• 12,200 were for men and 11,000 were for women
• 63% of patients were aged between 75 and 89
•1 in 3 hospitalisations were for Alzheimer’s disease
•1
3 days was the average length of stay—this was almost 5 times longer
than the average hospitalisation that year (2.7 days).

The rate of hospitalisations due to dementia has increased gradually each year from 2009–10
to 2014–15 (2.1% annual average increase) and from 2015–16 to 2018–19 (1.8% annual average
increase). These increases may be due in part to changes in the way dementia is recorded in
hospital data (particularly between 2014–15 and 2015–16). Records for dementia in hospital data are
also likely to be influenced by the level of education about dementia among health professionals,
hospital funding processes and other factors related to care provided in hospitals.
Number of hospitalisations Hospitalisations per 10,000

25k 45
40
20k 35
Hospitalisations per 10,000
30
15k Number of hospitalisations
25
20
10k
15
5k 10
0k 0
2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19
Year
In 2018–19, 78,500 hospitalisations had dementia listed as a condition that affected a

person’s hospital care (that is, dementia was not the main reason for admission but it influenced
the provision of care).
Of these, the most common reasons for admission were:
leg fracture awaiting admission to delirium*

residential aged care
* Not induced by alcohol and other psychoactive substances

How do people with dementia access aged
care services?
Older Australians who require care and assistance can access a range of government-subsidised
services co-ordinated through the My Aged Care system. After an initial screening, an appointment
is organised so that an aged care assessment can be completed in order to establish the persons’
needs and types of services that could help.
There are 2 main types of assessment services depending on the level of care needed:
•H
ome Support Assessments—face-to-face assessments provided by Regional Assessment
Services for people seeking home-based entry-level support that is provided under the
Commonwealth Home Support Programme
•C
omprehensive Assessments—provided by Aged Care Assessment Teams for people with
complex and multiple care needs to determine the most suitable type of care (home care,
residential or transition care).
These services are generally provided on the basis of need—there are no age restrictions for
eligibility (except for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme). Information on the use of
aged care services by people with dementia is not available for all types of aged care—particularly
the use of community based aged care services.
Over 41,000 people with dementia completed an aged care assessment

in 2019–20
This equates to 9.7% of all people who completed an aged care assessment (either a home support
or a comprehensive assessment) that year.
Among people with dementia who completed an aged care assessment:
• 54% were women (22,200 women) and 46% were men (18,900 men)
• The average age for women with dementia was 82 and it was 81 for men
•3 in 4 assessments were for a comprehensive assessment.
The majority of people with dementia (98%) were living in the community at the time of their
assessment.
Dementia is a common cause for needing a comprehensive assessment and people with dementia
accounted for 17% of all comprehensive assessments completed in 2019–20.
Among people with dementia who completed a comprehensive assessment:
• Men were more likely than women to be living with their partner—62% of men and 34% of
women with dementia were living with their partner at the time of assessment
• Women with dementia were more likely to be living alone at the time of assessment (40%) than
men with dementia (20%).

More than half of people living in permanent
residential aged care have dementia
In 2019–20, just under 132,000 (54%) of the 244,000 people living in permanent residential aged
care had dementia.
Over half of both women (54% or nearly 85,700) and men (54% or over 46,200) living in permanent
residential aged care had dementia. One-third of people under the age of 65 (33% or 2,000)
had dementia (also known as younger onset dementia). More men than women had younger
onset dementia (1,100 men and 930 women). The likelihood of a person with dementia entering
permanent residential care is influenced by a range of circumstances, such as a person’s current
living arrangements (women tend to live longer than men and thus are more likely to be living
alone), availability of informal care, and the severity of their dementia.
Depression and mood disorders (47%) and a range of arthritic disorders (45%) were the most
common co-existing medical conditions among people with dementia living in permanent
residential aged care. Medical conditions were recorded if they impact on an individual’s care needs.
Many residents with dementia have high care needs:

The Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) is used to allocate funding to residential aged care
facilities based on the day-to-day care needs of individual residents, as determined by their care
needs in 3 key domains: cognition and behaviour, activities of daily living and complex health care.
4 in 5 people with dementia (81%) required high levels of care

in the cognition and behaviour domain

in the activities of daily living domain

in the complex health care domain
The care needs of people with dementia living in permanent residential aged care increased
with age, with the exception of the cognition and behaviour domain, where needs were highest
among those with younger onset dementia. This could be in part a result of: severe behavioural
and psychological symptoms of dementia being common in dementia types that occur more
frequently in younger ages; younger people being more mobile and having fewer co-morbidities;
or providers having a different focus when assessing younger peoples’ care needs.

$3 billion was spent directly on health and
aged care services for dementia in 2018–19
Australia’s response to dementia requires economic investment across health,
aged care and welfare sectors. This involves substantial costs in diagnosis,
treatment and care for people with dementia (including supporting a workforce
of trained professionals) and support services for people with dementia and
their carers.
In 2018–19, $3.0 billion of health and aged care spending was directly attributable to dementia.
Spending on residential aged care services accounts for the largest share of dementia spending
(56% or $1.7 billion), followed by community based aged care services (20% or $596 million) which
was primarily for the Home Care Packages program (costing $397 million).
Many people with dementia also have co-existing conditions, some of which may be directly
associated with dementia. If these costs were included, the total direct health and aged care system
spending for people with dementia (rather than directly attributable to dementia) in 2018–19 would
be $9.8 billion.
Health and aged care spending directly attributable to dementia

by service area/ program in 2018–19
Service area/ program Expenditure Percent (%)
Residential aged care facilities $1.7 billion 55.6
Community based aged care services $596 million 19.8
Hospital services $383 million 12.7
Respite care services $133 million 4.4
Out of hospital medical services $99.2 million 3.3
Flexible aged care services $53.0 million 1.8
Dementia support services $50.6 million 1.7
Aged care assessments $21.3 million 0.7
Total $3.0 billion 100.0
Notes:
1. ‘Respite care services’ include residential respite care and community-based respite care.
2. ‘Flexible aged care services’ include the Transition Care Program and the National Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care program.
3. ‘Out of hospital medical services’ include general practice, diagnostic imaging, specialist, allied
health and pathology services as well as pharmaceuticals.
4. ‘Dementia support services’ include the Severe Behaviour Response Teams, the Dementia
Behaviour Management Advisory Service, the National Dementia Support Program, the Specialist
Dementia Care Program and the Dementia Training Program.

Carers play a vital role in providing
assistance and support to those with
dementia
People with dementia become increasingly dependent on carers to maintain
their independence and quality of life.
As dementia progresses, carers are essential in almost all aspects of their daily
living. Significant care is also provided by friends and family of people with
dementia who live in permanent residential aged care facilities.
The AIHW estimates that in 2021 there are between 134,900 and 337,200 informal carers of
people with dementia (that is, someone who provides ongoing informal assistance to a person with
dementia). This is a conservative estimate based on limited data, and excludes people providing care
to those living in permanent residential aged care facilities and paid workers or volunteers arranged
by an organisation or formal service.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, in 2018
more than 70,200 people were primary carers of a person with dementia (that is, the carer providing
the most informal, ongoing assistance).
Among primary carers of people with dementia, 3 in 4 were female and 1 in 2 were caring for their
partner with dementia.
Caring is a rewarding but demanding role

Caring for a person with a disability, illness or condition can be physically, mentally, emotionally,
and economically demanding, and the burden of caregiving is particularly high for those caring for a
person with dementia.
Factors that may contribute to the demands of providing care include the personal characteristics of
carers and care recipients, living arrangements of the carer and care recipient, carers’ employment,
care recipient and carers’ financial situation, and the level of support available from formal services
and other family and friends for the care recipient.
According to the ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, in 2018, when primary carers of people
with dementia were asked about the physical and emotional impact of their caring role:
• 3 in 4 primary carers had 1 or more physical or emotional impacts
• 2 in 5 primary carers felt weary or lacked energy
• 1 in 3 primary carers frequently felt worried or depressed.
The demands of caring for a person with dementia can also affect a carers work commitments
and financial obligations. Over half (52%) of primary carers of people with dementia were affected
financially since taking on the caring role—24% experienced a drop in income and 28% had extra
expenses since taking on the caring role.

Carers need appropriate support
It is vital that informal carers are supported effectively so they can provide appropriate care for
their loved ones with dementia, as well as look after their own health and wellbeing.
Among primary carers of people with dementia who needed more support:
• 1 in 4 primary carers reported they need more respite care
• 1 in 5 primary carers reported they need more physical assistance or emotional support.
By comparison, 1 in 8 primary carers of people without dementia reported that needed more
respite care, and 1 in 8 reported that they need more physical assistance or emotional support..
More respite care
More physical assistance

or emotional support
More financial assistance
Other areas of support
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Percent
Primary carers of people with dementia Primary carers of people without dementia

How does dementia affect Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people?
Dementia has a deep impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people (respectfully referred to as Indigenous Australians) and
communities. From receiving a diagnosis, to accessing health and
aged care services, Indigenous Australians often face additional challenges. For example, culturally
safe health and aged care services are not always available, and health professionals often do not
use existing culturally appropriate dementia screening tools to assist with diagnoses.
There are also gaps in our understanding of dementia in Indigenous Australians, including a lack
of national Indigenous representation in key data, and limited data on Indigenous-specific services
that need to be kept in mind when interpreting the findings presented here.
Higher rates of dementia are found in some Indigenous populations

Although there are no national-level estimates of the number of Indigenous Australians with
dementia, smaller studies have found higher rates among some groups, when looking at particular
age ranges:
• Rates of dementia for older Indigenous Australians in remote and rural

communities tend to be among the highest in the world (Smith et al. 2008;
Lo Giudice et al. 2016)
• Across the Northern Territory, the age-adjusted prevalence of dementia

for Indigenous Australians aged 45 and over is 6.5%, compared with 2.6%
among the non-Indigenous population (Li et al. 2014)
• The prevalence of dementia among Indigenous Australians aged 60 and over who live in urban and
regional areas is about 3 times as high as the rate for all Australians aged 60 and over (21% and
6.8%, respectively) (Radford et al. 2017)
• A dementia prevalence rate of 14.2% has been estimated among Torres Strait Islanders aged
between 45 and 93 years (Russell et al. 2020).
Burden of disease and deaths

During 2017–19, 314 Indigenous Australians died due to dementia (196 women and 118 men), and
dementia was the fifth leading cause of death among Indigenous Australians aged 65 and over. The
number of deaths due to dementia among Indigenous Australians is predicted to rise in the future,
primarily due to an increasingly ageing Indigenous population.
The latest burden of disease estimates for Indigenous Australians are for 2011. At that time, the
age-standardised rate of disease burden due to dementia was 2.3 times as high among Indigenous
Australians (12.8 DALY per 1,000 population) as the burden among other Australians (5.7 DALY per
1,000 population). Among people aged 75 and over, dementia was the leading cause of disease
burden for Indigenous women and the third leading cause for Indigenous men (behind coronary
heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). More recent data estimating the burden
of disease for Indigenous Australians are expected in late 2021.

Hospitalisations
In 2018–19, there were 269 hospitalisations due to dementia (where
dementia was the principal diagnosis or reason for admission) were the
patient identified as an Indigenous Australian.
Of the hospitalisations for Indigenous Australians due to dementia in

2018–19:
• Indigenous men were more likely to be hospitalised due to dementia (25 hospitalisations per
10,000 Indigenous Australians) than Indigenous women (20 per 10,000)
• 12.5 days was the average length of stay, which was similar to the average length of stay for all
hospitalisations due to dementia that year (13 days).
Half of Indigenous Australians living in permanent residential aged care

have dementia
In 2019–20, just over 2,400 people living in permanent residential aged
care facilities across Australia identified as being Indigenous. Over half
(52% or almost 1,300 Indigenous Australians) had dementia.
Of the Indigenous Australians with dementia living in residential aged

care during 2019–20:
• Indigenous men and women with dementia were older than Indigenous Australians without
dementia
• Indigenous Australians with dementia tended to use permanent residential aged care services at
higher rates in more remote areas.
The number of Indigenous Australians with dementia living in permanent residential aged care has
increased in recent years from just under 1,100 in 2014–15 to just under 1,300 in 2019–20.
It is important to note that data presented here on Indigenous Australians living in permanent
residential aged care do not include people accessing some government-subsidised Indigenous-
specific programs, such as the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program.
Indigenous-specific dementia services

Indigenous Australians can find it difficult to access services that provide
culturally appropriate care. This is particularly the case in remote areas.
Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) deliver holistic and culturally
appropriate health services and are often a first point of contact for Indigenous Australians with
dementia. ACCHSs can also refer people to other services, including specialist care, and help
people with dementia to navigate the aged care system.
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program aims to provide quality,
flexible aged care for older Indigenous Australians in a culturally safe environment. The program
operates mainly in regional, remote, and very remote areas, and provides various services,
including home and residential care. This program provides aged care to a large number of
Indigenous Australians—at 30 June 2020, there were almost 1,300 places available.

How does dementia affect other vulnerable
population groups?
Australians living with dementia come from diverse backgrounds and have unique
and variable needs for services and support. National data on people with dementia
in vulnerable population groups are limited and further research is needed.
The Dementia in Australia online report focused on a number of population groups of

interest that may benefit from a more specific focus within dementia care,
including people with dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
Understanding dementia among people from culturally and

linguistically diverse backgrounds is essential for health
and aged care policy and planning
Australia has a long history of immigration, and the population is comprised of a
large proportion of people who were born overseas, have a parent born overseas
or speak a variety of languages. These groups of people are generally referred to
as culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
Cultural and linguistic diversity among people with dementia in Australia largely reflects migration
waves to Australia in earlier years, and these waves are evident when looking at the country of birth
and year of arrival in Australia of people who died with dementia.
Among people who had dementia recorded on their death certificate between September 2016 and
December 2017:
• Those born in Southern, Eastern and North-Western Europe predominantly immigrated to

Australia between the late 1940s and the 1960s
• People born in Asia, the Middle East and Africa more commonly immigrated to Australia after
the mid-1960s. For example, 67% of people born in South East Asia (including Vietnam and the
Philippines) who died with dementia arrived between 1976 and 1995.
Migration patterns in earlier years are important to consider for service planning and delivery for
people with dementia in Australia, as well as servicing carers of people with dementia.
Differences in cultural attitudes towards aged care and support services

also need to be considered
According to the ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, in 2018:
1
in 2 people with dementia who were born in non-English speaking
countries and were living in the community relied on informal care
and assistance only.
By comparison, about 1 in 3 people with dementia who were born in English speaking countries
relied on informal care and assistance only.
For some cultures, the responsibility of caring for the elderly population falls upon kin. There may
also be limited understanding of, and/or stigma attached to dementia. It can also be difficult for
people to access and use services if they are not designed with culturally and linguistically diverse
communities in mind, particularly if not provided in their main language spoken.

How does dementia vary across Australia?
There are large differences in the number of people with dementia across Australian
states and territories, remoteness and socioeconomic areas.
States and territories NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT

Number of people with 122,300 94,900 69,700 34,400 30,900 9,300 4,900 1,400
dementia(a)
Deaths (per 100,000 42.5 40.6 43.2 38.2 47.0 43.1 43.4 62.0
population)
Burden of disease(b)
DALY per 1,000 population 6.2 5.8 6.2 4.7 7.3 6.4 6.6 8.9
YLL per 1,000 population 3.4 3.2 3.6 3.2 4.1 3.7 3.5 5.5
YLD per 1,000 population (c) 2.8 2.5 2.7 1.6 3.2 2.7 3.1 3.4
Hospitalisations 35.2 47.8 47.6 44.1 40.5 33.1 39.5 64.0
(per 10,000 population)
People in permanent 307.0 283.3 316.8 306.1 321.7 275.1 306.7 293.2
residential aged care (per
10,000 population)
(a) D
ue to the lack of data on the variability of dementia prevalence rates by states and territories, dementia prevalence estimates
for each state and territory were calculated by applying the AIHW national age- and sex-specific dementia prevalence rates to
the population of each. These are based on AIHW methods for estimating dementia prevalence.
(b) B
urden of disease measures the impact of living with illness and injury (years of life lost, or YLL) and dying prematurely (years
lived with disability, or YLD). Combined this is the disability adjusted life year (DALY). 1 DALY = 1 year of healthy life lost.
(c) F
or burden of disease analyses, state and territory prevalence estimates were derived by applying the state and territory
proportions of deaths due to dementia to the national prevalence estimates. These prevalence estimates were then multiplied
by the associated disability weights (measure of health loss) to obtain estimates for the years lived with disability (YLD) due to
dementia.

Major Inner Outer Very
Remoteness areas Remote
cities regional regional remote
Number of people with 249,900 80,100 33,200 3,300 1,300
dementia(a)
Deaths (per 100,000 population) 43.2 40.8 38.9 28.3 30.9
Burden of disease(b)
DALY per 1,000 population 6.3 6.0 5.8 5.7 (combined)
YLL per 1,000 population 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.4 (combined)
YLD per 1,000 population 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.3 (combined)
Hospitalisations 45.9 35.5 38.0 34.9 34.7
People in permanent residential 316.0 290.9 251.7 143.1 116.9
aged care (per 10,000
population)
Socioeconomic areas 1 (lowest) 2 3 4 5 (highest)

Number of people with 77,800 81,100 71,500 66,100 71,300
dementia (a)
Deaths (per 100,000 population) 41.6 43.7 42.1 41.2 41.9

Burden of disease (b)
DALY per 1,000 population 6.6 6.4 6.0 5.9 5.7

YLL per 1,000 population 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.2
YLD per 1,000 population 2.8 2.8 2.6 2.5 2.5
Hospitalisations 38.7 40.0 46.0 45.8 44.4
People in permanent residential 308.9 323.2 292.5 294.3 292.6
aged care (per 10,000
population)
(a) D
ue to the lack of data on the variability of dementia prevalence rates by remoteness area and socioeconomic area, dementia
prevalence estimates for each remoteness area and socioeconomic area were calculated by applying the AIHW national
age- and sex-specific dementia prevalence rates to the population of each. These are based on AIHW methods for estimating
dementia prevalence.
(b) B
urden of disease measures the impact of living with illness and injury (years of life lost, or YLL) and dying prematurely (years
lived with disability, or YLD). Combined this is the disability adjusted life year (DALY). 1 DALY = 1 year of healthy life lost.

Acknowledgments
The Dementia in Australia online compendium and Summary report were prepared by
Melanie Dunford, Lilia Arcos-Holzinger, Saki Disanayake, Alex Buckmaster and Maddie Howlett,
with assistance from Ingrid Evans, Megan Fraser, Lisa Irvine, Faith Ng, Thao Vu, Jeremy Spindler,
Ann-Kristin Raymer and Bronwyn Wyatt of the Dementia Unit at the Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare (AIHW) under the guidance of Fleur de Crespigny. Valued input was provided by
Richard Juckes, Melinda Leake, Jenni Joenperä, Ian Appleby, Marissa Veld, Emily Bourke,
Karen Hobson, Elizabeth Ingram, Fadwa Al-Yaman, Michelle Gourley, Brett Henderson,
Nick Von Sanden, David Braddock and Jason Thomson, also of the AIHW.
The AIHW Dementia Working Group, whose members include Kaarin Anstey, Henry Brodaty,
Colm Cunningham, Annette Dobson, Linda Fardell, Anthony Hobbs, Verity Russell,
Marissa Ostuszewski, Velandai Srikanth, Kaele Stokes, Prue Torrance, Kumar Ujjineni and
Stephanie Ward have contributed their expertise and provided valuable feedback on this report
throughout its development. In addition, the Australian Government Department of Health
provided valuable feedback and review on this report.
The AIHW would also like to thank Tom Morris and Marie Alford from Dementia Support Australia,
and Nigel McPaul and Emma Craig from Dementia Australia for providing AIHW with data and
reviewing this report; Jackie Hayes, Sally Lambourne and the Consumer Engagement team at
Dementia Australia for sourcing and interviewing our anonymous contributors; Dina Lo Giudice,
Kate Smith and Debra Reid for their valuable feedback on the dementia among Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people content; and Lauren Moran and Cathy Etherington from the Australian
Bureau of Statistics.
Lastly, the AIHW would like to thank the people who shared their personal experiences with either
living with dementia or caring for a loved one with dementia. Your honestly and willingness to share
your experience with readers is greatly appreciated.
The Australian Government Department of Health funded this report.

Where can I find out more?
More information can be found in the detailed Dementia in Australia online report, which is
available on the AIHW website: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dementia/dementia-in-aus/
contents/about.
If you require more information about dementia, want to know where to seek help if dementia
is suspected or want to find out about available support services refer to:
Dementia Australia website: https://www.dementia.org.au/
National Dementia Helpline: 1800 100 500 (a free and confidential service to discuss dementia
and memory loss concerns for yourself or others)
Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service: 1800 699 799 (if needing help to manage
behaviour associated with dementia).
For information on, and applying for access to government-subsidised aged care services
My Aged Care website: https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/.

References
Li SQ, Guthridge SL, Aratchlge PE, Wang Z, Zhao Y and Krause V. 2014. Dementia prevalence and
incidence among the Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations of the Northern Territory. Medical
Journal of Australia. (200): 465-469
Livingston G et al. 2017. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care. Lancet. 390(10113):2673-2734.
LoGiudice DL, Smith K, Fenner S, Hyde Z, Atkinson D, Skeaf L et al. 2016. Incidence and predictors
of cognitive impairment and dementia in Aboriginal Australians: a follow-up study of 5 years.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia 12(3):252–261.
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) 2019. Health at a Glance
2019: OECD indicators. Paris: OECD Publishing. doi:https://doi.org/10.1787/4dd50c09-en.
Prince M, Albanese E, Guerchet M & Prina M 2014. World Alzheimer Report 2014— dementia and
risk reduction: an analysis of protective and modifiable factors. London: Alzheimer’s Disease
International.
Radford K, Delbaere K, Draper B, Mack HA, Daylight G, Cumming R et al. 2017. Childhood stress and
adversity is associated with late-life dementia in Aboriginal Australians. The American Journal of
Geriatric Psychiatry 25(10):1097–1106.
Roehr S, Pabst A, Luck T & Riedel-Heller SG 2018. Is dementia incidence declining in high-income
countries? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Epidemiology 10:1233.
Russell SG, Quigley R, Thompson F, Sagigi B, LoGiudice D, Smith K et al. 2020. Prevalence of
dementia in the Torres Strait. Australasian Journal on Ageing 40(2):e125–e132.
Smith K, Flicker L, Lautenschlager NT, Almeida OP, Atkinson D, Dwyer A et al. 2008. High prevalence
of dementia and cognitive impairment in Indigenous Australians. Neurology 71(19):1470–1473.

2021
Summary report
This Summary report presents key findings
from the detailed Dementia in Australia online
compendium and covers a broad range of topics
including; prevalence estimates and projections,
mortality, burden of disease, care needs of people
with dementia, and their use of aged care and
health care services. The report also features
information on carers of people with dementia,
direct health and aged care system expenditure
for dementia and dementia among population
groups of interest.
aihw.gov.au
Stronger evidence,
better decisions,
improved health and welfare

AIHW Dementia Report Sept2021

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Dementia in Australia

© Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2021

ISBN 978-1-76054-903-9 (Online)

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Any enquiries about or comments on this publication should be directed to:

Published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

A personal account of living with dementia—Carrie and Dan’s story................................................. vi

Dementia is the 2nd leading cause of death in Australia....................................................................... 6

Dementia is a leading cause of burden of disease.................................................................................. 7

How is dementia diagnosed? ..................................................................................................................... 8

Around 23,200 hospitalisations were due to dementia in 2018–19..................................................... 10

How do people with dementia access aged care services? ................................................................. 12

How does dementia affect other vulnerable population groups?....................................................... 19

How does dementia vary across Australia?............................................................................................ 20

Where can I find out more?....................................................................................................................... 23

Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report iii

Living with dementia in 2021 S

It is estimated between The number of people

1 in 12 Over 27,800 Australians P

Burden of disease and deaths due to dementia C

Dementia is the Overall, It

iv Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report

Over half of people 623,300 scripts for dementia-

Between 2012–13 and 2019–20

Caring for people with dementia

It is estimated between Half of

Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report v

A few years ago, life for her family changed

One day, Dan couldn’t find words at all. They went

But they are lucky, and lucky to be in a good financial situation.

vi Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report

The likelihood of developing dementia increases with age but it is

• mild dementia—difficulties with a number of areas such as memory, planning, organisation

• severe or advanced dementia—almost total dependence on care and supervision by others.

Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report 1

The main types of dementia include:

2 Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report

Modifiable risk factors

Non-modifiable risk factors

But you can reduce your risk of developing dementia by …

Maintaining an active Maintaining a Quitting smoking Managing health

Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report 3

• 1 in 12 Australians aged 65 and over have dementia

Dementia data gaps

4 Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report

The number of Australians with dementia is predicted to

Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report 5

Number of deaths Deaths per 100,000

How do deaths vary by age and sex?

Deaths due to dementia per 100,000

Proportion of all deaths in 2019 6.8 12.4

6 Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report

For Australians of all ages, dementia was the:

• 3rd leading cause of disease burden (198,000 DALY)

Of the disease burden due to dementia in Australia in 2018:

What is burden of disease?

• 1 DALY is equivalent to 1 year of healthy life lost.

Dementia in Australia 2021: Summary report 7

Dementia data gaps

• Rates of dementia for older Indigenous Australians in remote and rural

• Across the Northern Territory, the age-adjusted prevalence of dementia

• Those born in Southern, Eastern and North-Western Europe predominantly immigrated to