Australia Sees Record Number of Deaths From Dementia
27 Oct 2026
Dementia was responsible for 19,019 deaths In 2006, dementia caused about 5% of all deaths in Australia, making it the country's fourth leading cause of death.
Dementia includes conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Professor Tanya Buchanan, CEO of Dementia Australia, said the figures show the need for greater funding and better services for people living with dementia and those who care for them.
She said support services and prevention efforts have not kept up with the growing impact of dementia. She also called for action to reduce the stigma linked to the condition.
Around 446,500 Australians are living with dementia, and 1.7 million people help care for them. By 2065, the number of people with dementia could exceed one million if no major action is taken.
Despite the rise in dementia deaths, the overall death rate in Australia fell in 2025. The rate for men dropped to a record low of 581.3 deaths per 100,000 people. For women, it was 418.4 deaths per 100,000, the second lowest figure on record.
Lauren Moran, Head of ABS Mortality Statistics, said the number of deaths may increase as Australia's population gets older. However, death rates compared with population size may continue to decline.
She added that the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily changed this trend, but recent figures suggest death rates are returning to their long-term pattern.
Ischaemic heart disease was the second leading cause of death in 2025. Other leading causes of death included brain blood vessel diseases, lung cancer and long-term lung diseases.
The death rate from ischaemic heart disease reached its lowest recorded level since its peak in 1968.
Drug-related deaths in Australia increased from 2,007 in 2024 to 2,063 in 2025. The rate reached 7.4 deaths per 100,000 people.
The median age at death from drug-related causes was 48.2 years in 2025. In 1999, when the rate peaked, the median age was 33.8 years.
Deaths involving stimulants also increased, rising from 504 in 2021 to 779 in 2025. Ms Moran said opioids and benzodiazepines remained the most common drug groups involved in these deaths, while deaths involving stimulants such as methamphetamine had grown.
Suicide remained Australia's leading cause of premature death in 2025, with 3,283 deaths. Men accounted for around three-quarters of these cases.
Australia Sees Record Number of Deaths From Dementia
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)