Dementia Statistics UK: Prevalence, Diagnosis and Costs (2026)
Online CPD Academy
https://onlinecpdacademy.co.uk/blog/dementia-statistics-uk

An estimated 982,000 people were living with dementia in the UK in 2024, with the total projected to reach around 1.4 million by 2040. England recorded 516,230 diagnosed cases in June 2026. The figures below bring together prevalence, diagnosis, mortality and care costs.

STATISTICS

Estimated people living with dementia: 982,000
2024 estimate | UK
Modelled prevalence; includes undiagnosed people.

Recorded dementia diagnoses: 516,230
30 June 2026 | England
All ages; GP records.

Diagnosis rate among people aged 65+: 66.2%
30 June 2026 | England
Recorded diagnoses divided by estimated prevalence.

People whose diagnosis was made before 65: 34,783
30 June 2026 | England
6.7% of people on the dementia register; not their current age.

Deaths with dementia and Alzheimer's disease as underlying cause: 72,272
2025 registrations | England and Wales
12.7% of registered deaths; excludes Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Estimated annual economic cost: £42.5 billion
2024 model; 2024 prices | UK
Societal model, not NHS spending alone.

COVERAGE
Prevalence and cost estimates cover the UK in 2024. Diagnosis figures cover England in June 2026; the latest mortality figures cover England and Wales in 2025.

USING THESE STATISTICS
Please credit Online CPD Academy and link to https://onlinecpdacademy.co.uk/blog/dementia-statistics-uk when using these statistics. Retain each figure’s reporting period and coverage.

SOURCES
1. Alzheimer’s Society / Carnall Farrar — The economic impact of dementia, Module 1
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/sites/default/files/2024-05/the-annual-costs-of-dementia.pdf

2. NHS England — Primary Care Dementia Data, June 2026
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/primary-care-dementia-data/june-2026

3. ONS — Death registration summary statistics, England and Wales: 2025
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathregistrationsummarystatisticsenglandandwales/2025

4. Alzheimer’s Research UK — Dementia is still UK’s biggest killer
https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/news/dementia-is-still-uks-biggest-killer-where-do-we-go-from-here/

5. WHO — Dementia factsheet
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia

6. NHS — What is dementia?
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia/about-dementia/what-is-dementia/