Statistics: Number of people with dementia in Scotland

We estimate that between 58,000 and 65,000 people have dementia in Scotland this year. Between around 1350 and 1600 of these people are under the age of 65. The numbers of people with dementia in Scotland are expected to rise by
75% to between 102,000 and 114,000 by 2031.

For the 30-89 age groups we used population projections for 2007 (2004 based) from the General Register Office for Scotland. For the 90+ age group we used population projections for 2007 (2004 based) from the Government Actuary’s Department.

We applied two sets of prevalence rates to the population projections. The first are from the Eurodem study for ages 65+ and from a study conducted by Harvey for the under 65 age group. The second set of prevalence rates are from the Alzheimer Society’s Dementia UK report , published earlier this year, which provide more up-to-date estimates than the Eurodem rates.

The Dementia UK rates produce conservative estimates; therefore, we have done calculations with both sets of prevalence rates. The true number of people with dementia will be in-between this range.



Table 1: Table showing the prevalence rates of dementia (%) given by the Eurodem (1) and Dementia UK studies.
Age group Eurodem Eurodem Dementia UK Dementia UK
  Female Male Female Male
30-34 0.0672 0.0672 0.0095 0.0089
35-39 0.0672 0.0672 0.0093 0.0063
40-44 0.0672 0.0672 0.0196 0.0081
45-49 0.0672 0.0672 0.0273 0.0318
50-54 0.0672 0.0672 0.0551 0.0627
55-59 0.0672 0.0672 0.0971 0.1795
60-64 0.0672 0.0672 0.118 0.1989
65-69 1.1 2.2 1 1.5
70-74 3.9 4.6 2.4 3.1
75-79 6.7 5 6.5 5.1
80-84 13.5 12.1 13.3 10.2
85-89 22.8 18.5 22.2 16.7
90-94 32.2 32.1 29.6 27.5
95-99 36 31.6 34.4 30
100+ 36 31.6 34.4 30

 



Table 2: Estimated number of people with dementia in Scotland in 2007 by local authority
Local authority Number of people with dementia (Eurodem
prevalence rates)
Number of people with dementia (Dementia
UK prevalence rates)
  Under 65 Over 65 Total Under 65 Over 65 Total
Aberdeen City 62 2486 2548 50 2227 2277
Aberdeenshire 81 2816 2897 70 2508 2578
Angus 36 1554 1590 32 1387 1419
Argyll & Bute 30 1321 1351 27 1176 1203
Clackmannanshire 16 578 595 14 516 529
Dumfries & Galloway 48 2262 2311 45 2012 2058
Dundee City 40 1927 1967 34 1727 1761
East Ayrshire 39 1487 1526 33 1323 1356
East Dunbartonshire 34 1391 1425 30 1240 1270
East Lothian 31 1262 1292 25 1129 1154
East Renfrewshire 29 1179 1208 24 1056 1080
Edinburgh, City of 143 5504 5647 106 4953 5059
Eilean Siar 9 399 408 8 357 365
Falkirk 49 1770 1819 40 1577 1617
Fife 115 4593 4708 98 4102 4200
Glasgow City 176 6374 6550 126 5708 5834
Highland 72 2833 2905 65 2525 2590
Inverclyde 26 1028 1054 22 918 940
Midlothian 26 940 966 22 836 858
Moray 29 1151 1179 24 1023 1048
North Ayrshire 43 1745 1788 38 1553 1591
North Lanarkshire 104 3458 3562 83 3068 3150
Orkney Islands 7 267 273 6 238 244
Perth & Kinross 46 2056 2102 41 1839 1880
Renfrewshire 55 1998 2053 45 1778 1823
Scottish Borders 37 1615 1652 33 1441 1474
Shetland Islands 7 264 272 6 237 243
South Ayrshire 36 1684 1719 33 1502 1534
South Lanarkshire 101 3723 3823 82 3319 3401
Stirling 27 1084 1111 24 967 990
West Dunbartonshire 29 1086 1115 24 971 995
West Lothian 56 1559 1615 43 1380 1423
Total 1639 63,393 65,031 1355 56,592 57,946

 



Table 3: Estimated number of people with dementia in Scotland in 2007 by NHS Board
NHS Board Number of people with dementia (Eurodem
prevalence rates)
Number of people with dementia (Dementia
UK prevalence rates)
  Under 65 Over 65 Total Under 65 Over 65 Total
Argyll and Clyde 134 5143 5277 114 4579 4693
Ayrshire & Arran 118 4916 5034 104 4378 4482
Borders 37 1615 1652 33 1441 1474
Dumfries & Galloway 48 2262 2311 45 2012 2058
Fife 115 4592 4707 98 4102 4200
Forth Valley 93 3427 3519 77 3055 3131
Grampian 172 6452 6624 144 5758 5902
Greater Glasgow 267 10117 10385 204 9058 9262
Highland 72 2833 2905 65 2525 2590
Lanarkshire 181 6307 6487 145 5605 5750
Lothian 256 9265 9521 197 8298 8495
Orkney 7 267 273 6 238 244
Shetland 7 264 272 6 237 243
Tayside 121 5533 5655 108 4949 5056
Western Isles 9 399 408 8 357 365

 



Table 4: Estimated number of people with dementia in Scotland 2007-2031
Year Dementia UK prevalence rates) % increase 
2007 57,946 -
2012 63,718 10%
2017 71,509 12%
2022 81,196 13.50%
2027 92,520 14%
2031 101,650 10%

For more information and breakdowns of the number of people with dementia by 5 year age group, please contact Lindsay Kinnaird lkinnaird@alzscot.org(tel: 0131 243 1453).

(1) Hofman A, Rocca, W A, Brayne C, Breteler M M B, Clarke M, Cooper B, et al (1991) The prevalence of dementia in Europe: a collaborative study of 1980-1990 findings International Journal of Epidemiology, 20, 3, 736-48.


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