As Canada’s population becomes increasingly older, the number of new cases each year will rise to over 250,000 annually in the 2040s, the report predicts.

By 2050, the number of people living with dementia in Canada will increase to more than 1.7 million, nearly three times more compared to 2020.

About 1.6% of the Canadian population had dementia in 2020, and this figure is now expected to increase to 3.6% by 2050, the report said.

The report describes dementia as a set of symptoms caused by certain disruptions to healthy brain functioning. Symptoms may include memory loss, difficulties with attention, problem solving and language, changes in mood and behavior, and issues with vision, balance and movement.

Although a number of risk factors exist for dementia, the report says age is the most important, with most but not all people who develop dementia being older than 65. The risk of dementia roughly doubles every five years after 65, with nearly one in four Canadians diagnosed after 85.

In 2020, approximately 61.8% of people living with dementia were female, the report found. This gap is expected to increase to 63.1% by 2050.

pll/mem/ifs