One in ten Australian deaths now linked to dementia
Dementia has accounted for more than 10 per cent of all deaths in Australia in 2025, which is almost double the rate in 2006.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed just over 19,000 people died from the condition last year.
Dementia now accounts for more than 10 per cent of all deaths in Australia for the first time. iStock
Dementia remains Australia’s leading cause of death.
For women, there were almost twice as many deaths from dementia as from ischaemic heart diseases.
Dementia deaths have been the leading cause of death for females for a decade,.
The other leading causes of death last year ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.
Dementia Australia Chief Executive Officer Professor Tanya Buchanan said the new data reinforces the urgent need to act on dementia now.
“The data underlines the critical need for more recognition and funding to support people living with dementia, their families and carers,” Buchanan said.
“Despite the growing impact of dementia, investment in specific services, supports and prevention have not kept the same pace, and the stigma that surrounds dementia continues. This needs to change.
“There are an estimated 446,500 Australians currently living with dementia, and a further 1.7 million people involved in their care.
“Without significant intervention, this is expected to increase to more than one million by 2065.”
Drug-induced deaths remained a public health issue in 2025, rising to 2063 deaths from 2007 deaths in 2024.
The Bureau of Statistics noted that while opioids and benzodiazepines continue to be the most common drug classes involved in these deaths, there has been “substantial growth” in deaths involving stimulants including methamphetamine.
Suicide remained the leading cause of premature death for both males and females last year.
There were 3283 deaths due to suicide, equivalent to 11.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
Men accounted for almost three-quarters of these deaths.
Until 2020, breast cancer was the leading cause of premature mortality in women.
This was surpassed by suicide in 2021, 2023 and 2025.
The research revealed mortality rates declined overall last year, with Australia’s mortality patterns now back around their long-term pre-pandemic trajectory.
The age-standardised death rate for men fell to a record low of 581.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2025.
The death rate for women was the second-lowest on record, with 418.4 deaths per 100,000 people.
“With an ageing population, we expect the number of deaths to increase over time, even as death rates decline relative to population size,” ABS head of mortality statistics Lauren Moran said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily disrupted that pattern, but these rates indicate that Australia’s mortality patterns are returning to the long-term trend of declining death rates.”
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