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Alzheimer’s disease statistics 2024

An estimated 6.5 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease. Get updated Alzheimer’s statistics by age, cost, and comorbidities.
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By | Updated on Oct. 25, 2024 Medically reviewed by Josephine Bawab, Pharm.D.
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As we get older, it’s harder to keep our mind as sharp as it once was in our prime. Age-related forgetfulness is a normal experience. Maybe you can’t remember where you left your phone or it’s taking you a bit longer to learn new concepts. What isn’t normal is more severe memory problems, like not remembering how to drive a car or becoming confused by your surroundings. If you or someone you know is experiencing these troubles, it’s important to get them evaluated by a doctor as it could be a serious issue, like Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

“Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease and the most commonly developed form of dementia,” said Nancy Mitchell, RN, a contributing writer at Assisted Living Center. “The condition arises due to permanent damage to cells in the hippocampus—the part of the brain responsible for our memories.”

Simply put, Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that affects older adults. Some people may also have mild cognitive impairment initially, which may be the first stage of Alzheimer’s disease. While Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, there are other types of dementia, like vascular dementia or Lewy body dementia.

Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include: 

  • Memory loss that makes daily life difficult
  • Difficulty with financial responsibilities
  • Difficulty completing routine tasks at home
  • Lack of good judgment
  • Being unable to find misplaced items
  • Behavior changes, like changes in personality or mood

To diagnose Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, you’ll need to visit a medical professional for a cognitive evaluation. A healthcare provider will be able to rule out if it is Alzheimer’s disease or something that can be easily treated, like a medication side effect or vitamin deficiency. If it is Alzheimer’s, an early diagnosis gives you time to enroll in clinical trials and make necessary arrangements for the future.

How common is Alzheimer’s?

  • With a mortality rate increasing almost 150% in the past 20 years, 1 in 3 adults die from Alzheimer’s or another dementia. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • It was estimated that 5.8 million Americans ages 65 years and older were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020)
  • In 2050, it’s projected that 12.7 million people in the United States will have Alzheimer’s dementia. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • Almost 11% of people ages 65 years and older, or about 1 in 9 people, have Alzheimer’s disease. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • After their 80th birthday, 1 in 6 people are estimated to get Alzheimer’s dementia. (UK National Health Service, 2021)
  • Women are more likely to get Alzheimer’s, with almost two-thirds of those diagnosed with the disease being women. By age 65, it’s estimated that 1 in 5 women will develop Alzheimer’s. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • While newer studies are showing African Americans and Hispanics have a higher risk of Alzheimer’s than White people, they are less likely to be diagnosed in the United States. (Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, 2020)

Alzheimer’s statistics worldwide

  • Around the globe, more than 50 million people were estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias in 2018. (World Alzheimer’s Report, 2018)
  • The majority of people with dementia, about 60%, live in lower or middle-income countries. This number is expected to rise to 71% in 2050. (Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2020)
  • Throughout the world, there are more than 10 million people diagnosed with dementia each year. This means every 3.2 seconds, someone is diagnosed with the disease. (Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2020)
  • Over $1.3 trillion USD is spent on dementia worldwide each year. By 2030, this number is estimated to reach $2.8 trillion USD. (Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2020)

Alzheimer’s statistics in America

  • In the United States, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top 10 leading causes of death. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020)
  • While research is limited on early-onset dementia in the U.S., researchers estimate about 200,000 individuals living in the U.S. that are below the age of 65 years have dementia. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • In 2019, South Dakota had the most Alzheimer’s deaths, with 56 deaths per every 100,000 people, followed by Mississippi, with 55.8 deaths per 100,000 people. (Statista, 2022)
  • The state with the least Alzheimer’s deaths is New York, ranked 50th with an estimated 13.1 deaths from the disease per every 100,000 people. (USA Today, 2018)

Alzheimer’s statistics by age

  • In the United States, it’s estimated that 6.5 million individuals ages 65 and older had Alzheimer’s disease in 2022. Of this population, 73% are ages 75 and older. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • Individuals who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 70 are twice as likely to die before reaching 80 years of age compared to those who do not have Alzheimer’s. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • Once 65 years of age and older, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease doubles every five years. By 80 years of age, 1 in 6 individuals are diagnosed with dementia, many of which have Alzheimer’s disease. (Alzheimer’s Society, 2018)
  • In 2019, around 3% of adults ages 70 to 74 had dementia, 22% of adults ages 85 to 89 had it, and 33% of adults 90 years and above had it. (Population Reference Bureau, 2019)

Alzheimer’s caregiver statistics

  • Many caregivers for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are unpaid, with 11 million Americans providing this service free of cost. It was estimated in 2021 that unpaid caregivers worked 16 billion hours, a value of $272 billion, for dementia care. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • Most dementia caregivers are women, with more than one-third being the daughter of the person for which they care. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • Around 30% of caregivers are at retirement age, meaning they are 65 years or older. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • Two-thirds of caregivers also live with the person they care for who has dementia. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • The majority of Americans with dementia, or 85%, lived at home or in supportive care settings (such as assisted living or personal care homes) in 2015. The other 15% lived in nursing facilities. (Population Reference Bureau, 2019)

RELATED: Caregiver’s guide to self-care and avoiding caregiver burnout

Alzheimer’s and overall health

As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, there is more damage in parts of the brain controlling language, reasoning, conscious thought, and sensory processing. As damage progresses, memory worsens and hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions may happen. In the late stages of Alzheimer’s, plaque on the brain is severe and brain tissue begins shrinking. Individuals may be unable to swallow, speak, or move easily. Therefore, they may need to depend on someone else for all their care. Alzheimer’s also increases the risk of developing other chronic health conditions.

  • Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s or other dementias are more likely to have other chronic conditions compared to those who don’t have dementia. These conditions include heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022)
  • A study in Taiwan of more than 2,600 Alzheimer’s cases found that the most common comorbidities were hypertension, osteoarthritis, depression, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease. (Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2018)
  • A meta-analysis found studies suggest that chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and inflammatory bowel disease, may be associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s in different populations. (Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2021)
  • Between 2007 and 2017, emergency department visits increased by 22% for Medicare recipients who had Alzheimer’s and other dementias. (Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, 2020)

The cost of Alzheimer’s

  • In 2020, the estimated healthcare cost was $305 billion for Alzheimer’s disease treatment. With more of the population aging, this number is expected to increase to $1 trillion. (The American Journal of Managed Care, 2020)
  • Of the $305 billion costs for Alzheimer’s treatment mentioned above, $206 billion, or 67%, was paid for by Medicare and Medicaid. (Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, 2020)
  • The majority of the cost of dementia treatment and care, or 70% of the cost, is paid for by the family. This includes out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, long-term care payments, and the value of unpaid care. (Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, 2020)

Causes of Alzheimer’s

The main cause of Alzheimer’s is still not 100% clear. Scientists believe it’s a combination of genetics, environment, lifestyle, and age-related brain changes. The changes in the brain include a build-up of proteins, amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles, causing neurons to die and lose their connections. 

Age and family history are also good indicators of a person’s risk for the disease, as well as head injuries, which can also be an indicator of developing dementia later in life.

Alzheimer’s prevention

“You may not necessarily be able to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but you can slow its progression,” said Mitchell. “The idea is to keep your brain engaged to stimulate constant repair and replacement of its cells. Brain games, crossword puzzles, and language learning are all excellent tasks to adopt to keep the brain active and well-functioning.”

She also suggests eating a healthy diet with minimally processed foods and sugar in moderation to improve brain health. One of the best foods to slow dementia’s progression is omega-3 fatty acids.

“Consuming nuts and fatty fish may be particularly helpful in halting the onset of dementia-related conditions because they contain omega-3 fatty acids, which promote blood flow and nutrient delivery to brain cells,” explained Mitchell.

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service also recommends stopping smoking, cutting down alcohol to a minimum amount, and exercising regularly for 150 minutes each week. 

RELATED: Could coffee decrease Alzheimer’s risk?

Treating Alzheimer’s

At this time, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but there are treatments that can help slow the progression of the disease, slow cognitive decline, and improve a person’s quality of life. There are medications available for the treatment of memory issues, like Aricept (donepezil) and Exelon (rivastigmine). One drug, Aduhelm (aducanumab), has recently been approved by the FDA to help treat the disease’s progression.

Outside of medication, there are other non-drug treatment options for those living with Alzheimer’s. Cognitive rehabilitation and cognitive stimulation therapy with a trained professional can help people relearn tasks while improving memory and problem-solving skills. Clinical trials are also an option since the disease is still in the early stages of research.

RELATED: Alzheimer’s and dementia medication management

Alzheimer’s questions and answers

What percentage of the population has Alzheimer’s?

Almost 2% of the U.S. population has Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

How likely is the average person to get Alzheimer’s?

One in nine people ages 65 and older have Alzheimer’s, meaning the likelihood of getting Alzheimer’s is 10.7%, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Why is Alzheimer’s so common now?

Alzheimer’s disease isn’t necessarily more common now, but the research on the disease has been expanding since Alzheimer’s was discovered in 1906. As dementia research progresses, people can more easily identify and diagnose the disease.

How many people had Alzheimer’s disease in 2022?

In 2022, there were 6.5 million people living with Alzheimer’s in the United States.

Who is most prone to Alzheimer’s?

Older adults are the most prone population to developing Alzheimer’s. Women are more likely than men to have Alzheimer’s, as two-thirds of those with Alzheimer’s are women. 

At what age does Alzheimer’s usually start?

For older adults with late-set Alzheimer’s, symptoms start in the mid-60s. If a person develops Alzheimer’s before the age of 65, it is technically early-onset Alzheimer’s, which is a rarer form of the condition.

Alzheimer’s research