Dementia Surpasses Heart Disease in Australia: What the Latest ABS Data Reveals

Released on 14 November 2025, the latest ABS data shows that dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, has officially become Australia’s leading cause of death, overtaking ischaemic heart disease for the first time, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Causes of Death, Australia, 2024 report. The ABS recorded 17,549 deaths from dementia in 2024 (9.4% of all deaths), compared with 16,275 deaths from ischaemic heart disease (8.7%). This marks a significant shift driven largely by Australia’s ageing population.

Beyond the headlines, the full dataset reveals complex patterns across demographics, regions, and socioeconomic groups—each contributing to the broader picture of dementia leading cause of death Australia statistics.

Key Findings: Dementia Now the Leading Cause of Death in Australia

To better understand the major shift behind dementia leading cause of death Australia trends, here are the crucial highlights from the ABS report:

• Dementia caused 17,549 deaths (9.4% of all deaths)
• Heart disease caused 16,275 deaths (8.7%)
• Dementia deaths increased 38.8% from 2015 to 2024
• Heart disease deaths decreased 18.3% over the same period
• Women made up 62.4% of dementia deaths
• Suicide remains the leading cause of premature death
• Total deaths in Australia reached 187,268 in 2024

These figures illustrate a nation undergoing demographic transformation, where longevity is becoming a defining force in health outcomes.

Why Dementia Is Now the Leading Cause of Death in Australia

The rise of dementia leading cause of death Australia patterns reflects several interconnected societal and medical changes.

1. An Ageing Population

Australia’s population continues to age, with more people living into their late 80s and 90s. The median age at death for dementia is 88.7 years, reinforcing its strong association with older age. Longer life expectancy has created a situation where more Australians naturally reach ages where dementia risk accelerates.

Increasing life expectancy has been one of the greatest public health achievements. However, it has also shifted disease patterns from acute, sudden events (like heart attacks) toward chronic, progressive conditions such as dementia.

2. Long-Term Decline in Heart Disease Deaths

Heart disease once dominated Australia’s mortality rankings. Yet over several decades, improvements in medical care, early intervention and health awareness have dramatically reduced deaths. The age-standardised death rate for ischaemic heart disease dropped to 43.4 per 100,000 people, its lowest level since national records began.

This decline means fewer Australians are dying at younger or middle ages from heart-related events. Instead, they survive these conditions and live long enough to develop age-related illnesses such as dementia.

3. Better Recognition and Diagnosis

Health professionals now have stronger awareness and diagnostic tools for dementia. In the past, cognitive decline was often dismissed as “old age” or recorded under less specific causes. Today, dementia is more accurately captured on death certificates, strengthening reporting and making dementia leading cause of death Australia data more reliable.

4. Gender and Longevity Factors

Women continue to outlive men on average, and as a result, more women reach ages where dementia becomes likely. In 2024, women accounted for 62.4% of dementia deaths, with dementia remaining the leading cause of death for women nationwide.

Men, by contrast, continue to experience higher rates of heart disease mortality. However, as heart disease deaths decline and men also begin to live longer, the gender gap in dementia outcomes is expected to narrow slowly over time.

State and Regional Differences

Although dementia leads nationally, dementia leading cause of death Australia rankings vary by state and remoteness.

Dementia Leads In:

• New South Wales
• Victoria
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Western Australia
• Australian Capital Territory

Heart Disease Still Leads In:

• Tasmania
• Northern Territory

These differences reflect demographic variation, healthcare access, lifestyle patterns, and population structures.

By Remoteness:

• Major Cities & Inner Regional: Dementia is the leading cause.
• Outer Regional, Remote & Very Remote: Ischaemic heart disease remains dominant.

Regional communities often face barriers such as limited specialist care, higher rates of chronic risk factors, and socioeconomic challenges that influence mortality trends.

Australia’s Top 10 Causes of Death (2024)

Rank	Cause of Death	Deaths	Median Age
1	Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease	17,549	88.7 yrs
2	Ischaemic Heart Disease	16,275	83.0 yrs
3	Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease	9,229	80.2 yrs
4	Cerebrovascular Disease	9,147	85.1 yrs
5	Lung Cancer	9,119	75.2 yrs
6	Diabetes	5,965	81.7 yrs
7	Colorectal and anal cancer	5,387	78.0 yrs
8	Accidental falls	5,179	87.8 yrs
9	Blood and lymph cancers	5,163	79.4 yrs
10	Urinary diseases	4,810	87.0 yrs

The steadiness of the median ages across these top causes highlights the growing burden of chronic illness in older age groups.

Premature Death: Suicide Remains the Leading Cause

While dementia leading cause of death Australia data captures deaths mainly among older age groups, premature mortality tells a different story. The ABS uses Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) to evaluate deaths occurring between ages 1 and 78.

In 2024:

• Suicide accounted for 107,327 YPLL, the highest of any cause
• Ischaemic heart disease followed with 72,528 YPLL
• Accidental poisoning accounted for 51,985 YPLL
• Lung cancer accounted for 51,144 YPLL
• Land transport accidents accounted for 47,204 YPLL

These figures underscore the dual challenge Australia faces: supporting older people living longer, while also addressing preventable causes of death among younger populations.

This visual emphasis reinforces the dementia leading cause of death Australia shift.

What This Means for Families and Communities

As dementia continues to rise, families are experiencing increasing pressure to manage day-to-day care. Support often involves daily routine management, home safety adjustments, emotional reassurance, assistance with meals and hygiene, and periods of respite care.

Community-based and in-home support services play a valuable role in easing this burden by helping with household tasks, safety-focused maintenance, transport, and practical everyday assistance that allows older Australians to remain at home for longer.

The Growing Role of Home-Based Care

With dementia now the leading cause of death in Australia, aged-care systems are under growing pressure. Many people prefer to stay in their own homes rather than move into residential care, making access to reliable local support more important than ever.

Strengthening local networks, improving access to in-home services, offering carer education, ensuring safe home environments, and maintaining regular wellbeing check-ins can all help reduce carer burnout and support older Australians to live safely and comfortably at home.

FAQs

1. Why is dementia now the leading cause of death in Australia?

Because Australians are living longer, and dementia risk increases sharply with age. Heart disease death rates have also fallen significantly.

2. Why are more women affected by dementia?

Women live longer than men, increasing their lifetime risk. Women accounted for 62.4% of all dementia deaths in 2024.

3. In which states does dementia rank highest?

Dementia is the leading cause of death in all states except Tasmania and the Northern Territory, where heart disease remains number one.

4. At what age does dementia most commonly lead to death?

According to ABS data, the median age at death for dementia in 2024 was 88.7 years, reflecting its strong association with advanced age.

5. Has dementia been rising consistently over the past decade?

Yes. Dementia deaths increased by 38.8% between 2015 and 2024, driven largely by Australia’s ageing population and improved recognition of dementia on death certificates.