Addressing Dementia in Canada: Current Trends, Challenges and Opportunities in Improving Public Awareness, Reducing the Risk and Challenging Stigma Related to Dementia
Already, 74% of Canadian adults know someone who has or had dementia—highlighting its widespread impact. Approximately 500,000 older adults were diagnosed in 2023/24, and close to 772,000 Canadians may be living with dementia in 2025. With an ageing population, that number could reach 1.7 million by 2050, alongside 1 million care partners.
The good news is that there are many things Canadians can do to reduce their risk and prevent or delay getting dementia.
The NIA’s analysis finds that while nearly every Canadian province and territory recognizes dementia as a pressing issue, fewer than half have developed a dedicated dementia strategy in the past 15 years. Even where strategies exist, implementation is uneven, and key gaps remain in public awareness, prevention and stigma reduction.
The NIA’s inaugural dementia report calls for three evidence-informed policy actions:
- Develop and implement dementia strategies in every Canadian jurisdiction.
- Continue and expand public awareness initiatives in every Canadian jurisdiction to improve knowledge, reduce risk, and challenge stigma.
- Establish clear success metrics at all levels of government and publicly report on progress.
