Deaths due to dementia
There were 69,178 deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in the UK during 2021 – making it the leading cause of death after COVID-19. This figure was calculated using the leading cause of death groupings developed by the World Health Organisation and adopted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in their reporting for England and Wales.
Data to establish dementia as the leading cause of death in the UK was sourced from the ONS website (England and Wales), National Records of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
In 2019, dementia accounted for 1.8 million deaths worldwide. This figure includes deaths where dementia was a contributing factor, however in some cases dementia is not listed as an underlying cause of death on death certificates.
Dementia is the only major cause of death without a treatment to prevent, slow or stop disease progression.
Monthy Mortality Analysis, England and Wales. July 2023 is the most recent month for which data is available.
National Records of Scotland – monthly mortality analysis. September 2023 is the most recent month for which data is available.
Number of deaths from dementia in England, Scotland and Wales in 2023
National Records for Scotland – Monthly mortality analysis
Office of National Statistics – Monthly mortality analysis for England and Wales
