Europe's Growing Dementia Burden

Dementia is already a major cause of disability, dependency and mortality across Europe, and its impact is expected to increase as the population ages. This systematic analysis published in September 2026 used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) to provide a harmonised assessment of dementia prevalence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) across the 27 European Union countries (EU-27) and the wider WHO European Region between 1990 and 2023. The study also examined age and sex patterns, socioeconomic differences and the proportion of dementia burden associated with selected modifiable risk factors.