Baby Boomers Enter Old Age...More than 1 million dementia patients next year
Mar 12, 2025
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According to the results of the dementia epidemiological survey and the actual condition survey released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 12th, the number of dementia patients this year is 970,000. It is estimated that the number will exceed 1 million next year and 2 million by 2044.
As of 2023, the prevalence of dementia in the elderly was 9.25%, down 0.25 percentage points from 9.50% in 2016.
This is the first decrease in the prevalence of dementia since the beginning of the dementia epidemiological survey in 2008, and it is analyzed that the prevalence rate of dementia patients decreased as the first baby boom (1955-1963) generation entered old age and the total population aged 65 or older increased. In addition, the proportion of senior citizens aged 65 or older graduating from high school has increased from 24.8% in 2017 to 38.25% in 2023, and the gradual improvement in drinking and smoking habits has affected it.
On the other hand, although cognitive functions such as memory and language skills are clearly deteriorated, the prevalence of 'mild cognitive impairment', which is not dementia due to the preservation of daily life performance ability, reached 28.42%, up 6.17 percentage points from 22.25% in 2016. 10-15% of mild cognitive impairments progress to dementia, and it is estimated that the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment has increased as dementia and mild cognitive impairment diagnosis criteria have been subdivided and early screening of dementia has been activated.
Although the prevalence of dementia has decreased slightly, the absolute number of patients is expected to continue to increase.
As of 2025, the number of dementia patients was 970,000 (9.17% prevalence rate), and the time when it exceeded 1 million was expected to be 2026. Since then, it has been estimated that it will surpass 2 million in 2044 and peak at 2.34 million in 2059. The number of patients with mild cognitive impairment is expected to reach 2.98 million in 2025 (the prevalence rate is 28.12%), approaching 3 million, and entering 4 million by 2033.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
