Despite increasing awareness, stigma surrounding dementia remains widespread, with significant consequences for individuals living with the condition and their carers, according to the 2024 World Alzheimer Report published by the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (CPEC) at LSE and Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI).
Building on data from the 2019 survey, the 2024 report tracks changes in knowledge and attitudes over the last five years. It shows that misconceptions about dementia persist, and in many cases, stigma has intensified. Dementia-related stigma continues to create barriers to timely diagnosis and access to care. Misconceptions about the nature of dementia contribute to a lack of support for those affected, reinforcing social exclusion and discrimination. The report provides insight into these global attitudes and suggests ways to reduce stigma at multiple levels of society.
Key findings from the 2024 report include:
- In 2024, the view that dementia is a natural part of aging became more prevalent. In low- and lower-middle-income countries, 84.1 per cent of people with dementia believed this misconception, up from 74 per cent in 2019. The belief was also common in high-income countries, where 73.9 per cent held this view.
- The percentage of respondents who believe moving a family member with dementia to a care home is the best option, even against their wishes, increased in all income groups. This belief rose from 9 per cent to 33 per cent in low-income countries and from 25 per cent to 29 per cent in high-income countries between 2019 and 2024.
- 88 per cent of people living with dementia reported experiencing discrimination in 2024, up from 83 per cent in 2019. People with dementia and their carers were also more likely to report feelings of loneliness compared to the general public.
- 9.3 per cent of people living with dementia and 11.1 per cent of caregivers did not feel satisfied with their lives at any point in the past month. This contrasts with 2.6 per cent of healthcare professionals and 3.5 per cent of the general public.
The report emphasises that raising awareness about dementia, while important, is not sufficient to reduce stigma. Even in areas where knowledge of dementia has grown, stigma and discrimination remain significant challenges.
Steps to reduce stigma include:
- Promoting Behaviour Change: Creating dementia-friendly environments that support people living with dementia and their carers is essential. Awareness campaigns need to go beyond providing information and actively encourage inclusive behaviours.
- Policy Development: National dementia plans are critical for ensuring that governments implement dementia-inclusive policies and allocate necessary resources. As well as this, anti-stigma efforts should be explicitly integrated into national policy. These plans help reduce the barriers people with dementia face in accessing care and living with dignity.
- Collective and coordinated responses: Any effort to reduce stigma should be rooted in the voices of people living with dementia, families and care partners to confront stigma and discrimination.
The 2024 findings highlight the need for concerted efforts to reduce the stigma associated with dementia.
Dr Sara Evans-Lacko, lead researcher from CPEC, commented: "This report highlights the persistence of stigma-related challenges for people with dementia and their care partners and a worrying trend: despite increasing awareness, exclusion and discrimination towards people living with dementia seems to be rising globally. It is clear that raising awareness alone is not enough. To effect real, lasting change, we must challenge the structural and societal barriers that perpetuate stigma and discrimination. Creating inclusive, supportive environments where people with dementia and their carers can live with dignity and autonomy requires coordinated efforts at every level—from policy reform to community action. We must collectively seek to create environments where people with dementia and their carers can live meaningful, inclusive, and stigma-free live."
Wendy Weidner, ADI's Director of Research and Publications, said: "Raising awareness of dementia and challenging the stigma surrounding this condition has been a fundamental pillar of ADI's work for 40 years. Five years after the landmark 2019 survey on attitudes to dementia, this year's follow-up shows our mission is far from over. We must step up efforts to provide people with tangible tools to not only understand dementia, but to also change hearts and minds. Yet we need to do more than just change how individuals view dementia; we need to push governments to treat the condition as a public health priority and to ensure that health and care systems provide accessible and adequate support to people and families impacted by dementia."