Advocates warn urgent national investment is needed as prevalence climbs and dementia remains the nation’s leading cause of death.
Australia is on track for a dramatic surge in dementia cases, with new figures showing 446,500 people are now living with the condition – a number expected to more than double to over one million by 2065.
Data released by Dementia Australia highlights the growing scale of dementia across the country and the pressure it will place on health, aged care and support systems in the decades ahead.
The figures also reveal dementia is affecting Australians across the lifespan. Around 29,000 people are currently living with young onset dementia, defined as a diagnosis between the ages of 18 and 65 years.
That number is projected to rise to about 41,000 by 2054. An estimated 1500 Australian children are also living with childhood dementia.
Dementia Australia also provided a state and territory breakdown of the current estimated prevalence of dementia. These include:
- The Australian Capital Territory. In 2026 there are an estimated 6,300 people living with all forms of dementia. This figure is projected to increase to an estimated 12,300 by 2054 with a projected percentage change of 95%.
- New South Wales. In 2026 there are an estimated 145,700 people living with all forms of dementia. This figure is projected to increase to an estimated 252,800 by 2054 with a projected percentage change of 74%.
- The Northern Territory. In 2026 there are an estimated 1850 people living with all forms of dementia. This figure is projected to increase to an estimated 3600 by 2054 with a projected percentage change of 95%.
- Queensland. In 2026 there are an estimated 88,200 people living with all forms of dementia. This figure is projected to increase to an estimated 168,300 by 2054 with a projected percentage change of 91%.
- South Australia. In 2026 there are an estimated 35,800 people living with all forms of dementia. This figure is projected to increase to an estimated 55,600 by 2054 with a projected percentage change of 55%.
- Tasmania. In 2026 there are an estimated 11,200 people living with all forms of dementia. This figure is projected to increase to an estimated 16,500 by 2054 with a projected percentage change of 47%.
- Victoria. In 2026 there are an estimated 113,900 people living with all forms of dementia. This figure is projected to increase to an estimated 216,400 by 2054 with a projected percentage change of 90%.
- Western Australia. In 2026 there are an estimated 43,400 people living with all forms of dementia. This figure is projected to increase to an estimated 87,000 by 2054 with a projected percentage change of 100%.
Dementia Australia CEO Professor Tanya Buchanan said the rising prevalence underscored the need for sustained national action on prevention, care and support.
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“There is a critical demand for a national program to promote brain health throughout our lives as well as a pressing need to provide quality care and support services for people of all ages living with dementia, their families and carers,” Professor Buchanan said.
“Dementia Australia is calling for essential investment from the Federal Government in implementing the National Dementia Action Plan, a ten-year government framework released in late 2024 aiming to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their carers.
“Australia is recognised internationally for its strengths in dementia care, support and research, but the system still has areas that need improvement. Funding the delivery of the National Dementia Action Plan is essential for all Australians impacted by dementia.”
Dementia advocate Rebecca Scouller, whose mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2017 and now lives in residential aged care, said the growing prevalence meant dementia would increasingly touch Australian families.
“Dementia is likely to touch all our lives at some point in time,” she said.
She urged the government to cost and incorporate the National Dementia Action Plan into the federal budget, warning that urgent investment is needed to improve navigation, services and support for people living with dementia and their carers.
