The impact of dementia in NZ
Dementia is one of New Zealand’s most significant and growing healthcare challenges. Almost 70,000 Kiwis have dementia & that number is expected to almost triple by 2050.
Dementia also has a significant impact on the family/whanāu and friends of people with the condition. A survey we conducted in 2017 indicated that 4 out of every 5 New Zealanders knows or has known someone with dementia.
The total financial cost of dementia on the health system in 2011 was estimated as $954.8 million.
Informally, the value of those who were fully or partially removed from the workforce to care for someone with dementia was estimated at $37.7 million.