Italy currently has a population of over 1.43 million individuals with dementia, a figure that is projected to increase by 54% to 2.2 million by 2050. According to Alzheimer Europe's new report "The Prevalence of Dementia in Europe 2025", presented by the Alzheimer's Federation Italy, our country has the highest dementia incidence in the European Union in relation to the population: 2.4%, which could rise to 4.2% in the next 25 years. The increase in cases is mostly due to the aging population, which primarily affects the elderly: by 2050, a projected 1.7 million people with dementia will be above the age of 80. The phenomena also has a substantial gender component: almost two-thirds of individuals affected are female. In 2025, women with dementia number around 946,000 compared to 491,000 men; by 2050 they will exceed 1.4 million, compared to 807,000 men.
People with dementia in Europe will grow from 9.1 million in 2025 to over 14.3 million in 2050, representing a 58% rise in EU countries. "Dementia is a true public health emergency", says Mario Possenti, Secretary General of the Italian Alzheimer's Federation. "Without concrete interventions and adequate funding, the risk is that more and more families will be left alone to face an enormous burden".