The magnitude of dementia occurrence in the world

In this study, the worldwide occurrence of dementia in 2000 and during the period 1950-2050 was estimated. The calculations were based on worldwide demo-graphics of the elderly and age-specific prevalence and incidence values of dementia, estimated from a meta-analysis. In a sensitivity analysis, different prevalence sources were used. The worldwide number of persons with dementia in 2000 was estimated at about 25 million persons. Almost half of the demented persons (46%) lived in Asia, 30% in Europe, and 12% in North America. Fifty-two percent lived in less developed regions. About 6.1% of the population 65 years of age and older suffered from dementia (about 0.5% of the worldwide population) and 59% were female. The number of new cases of dementia in 2000 was estimated to be 4.6 million. The forecast indicated a considerable increase in the number of demented elderly from 25 million in the year 2000 to 63 million in 2030 (41 million in less developed regions) and to H 4 million in 2050 (84 million in less developed regions). In conclusion, the majority of demented elders live in less developed regions, and this proportion will increase considerably in the future.