Dementia is now the leading cause of death in Australia, overtaking ischaemic heart disease for the first time, reshaping national health‑care priorities.
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that dementia caused more than 17,500 deaths in 2024, making it responsible for more deaths than any other condition.
A comparison of leading causes shows dementia accounts for 9.4 per cent of all deaths, ahead of ischaemic heart disease at 8.7 per cent and chronic lower respiratory diseases at roughly 4.8 per cent.
ABS’s Head of Mortality Statistics, Lauren Moran said that the long‑term rise reflects both demographic change and shifts in disease patterns.
“The number of deaths caused by dementia has risen by 39 per cent over the last decade,” Ms Moran said.
“People are now more likely to live to an age where they have a higher risk of developing dementia.”
While coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men, dementia now leads overall.
Most dementia deaths occur among people aged 85 to 94, and age‑standardised death rates have continued to increase, indicating the rise cannot be explained by population ageing alone.
The ABS has updated the past three years of death records after new coronial findings changed some causes of death, with a small number of doctor‑certified cases also revised.
Place‑of‑death data highlight the pressure on aged‑care services, with an ABS pilot study showing 77 per cent of dementia deaths in 2019 had occurred in residential aged‑care facilities.
Many people with dementia continue to live at home and rely heavily on informal carers, particularly spouses and adult children, who report burnout and limited access to respite.
Mrs Ngaire Barton said that her great‑nan suffered from dementia, and that the family struggled with the impact of the disease during the seven years she cared for her.
“It was sad to watch a capable woman no longer recognise her own abilities,” Mrs Barton said.
“Some days she would look at me with complete confusion, and other days she’d apologise for forgetting things she once did with ease. It was heartbreaking to see her lose pieces of herself.”
Geographic differences remain significant, with New South Wales recording some of the highest dementia death rates and the Northern Territory among the lowest.
The rising death tolls demand urgent investment in aged‑care staffing, community support programs and national consistency in dementia diagnosis and reporting.
Additional Reporting: Aimee Yavuzer and Rachael Gregory
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