The landscape outlined by the report “The Prevalence of Dementia in Europe 2025,” released by Alzheimer Europe—a network uniting 41 national associations across 36 countries—and presented by the Alzheimer’s Federation Italy leaves little room for interpretation. The document, which serves as an update to the previous “Dementia in Europe Yearbook” from 2019, contains data on dementia prevalence in 27 EU member countries and in 11 additional countries where Alzheimer Europe has a presence: Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Israel, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
The Italian Scenario
The Italian outlook is especially worrying: Italy faces a demographic shift that will turn dementia into a daily caregiving challenge for every clinician. In 2025, the number of people affected stands at about 1.43 million, but projections for 2050 point to 2.2 million patients, equal to 4.2% of the country’s total population.
That represents a 54% increase, driven by the aging of the “oldest old” segment: it is estimated that by 2050 there will be 1.7 million people aged 80 and over living with dementia. This statistic places Italy at the top of the European Union league for the share of affected individuals relative to the total population.
However, even at the European level the scenario shows a significant rise: the number of people with dementia in the Union will grow from nearly 9.1 million in 2025 to more than 14.3 million in 2050, an increase of 58%. When non-EU countries included in the study are considered, the overall increase will reach 64%.
The “Face” of the Disease: Gender and Caregiving
The report highlights a pronounced gender disparity in our country: about two-thirds of cases concern women. In 2025, the number of female patients is 946,000 (versus 491,000 men), projected to exceed 1.4 million by 2050. As the Federation notes, women face a double disadvantage: “They fall ill more often, but they are also more involved than men in the caregiving and support activities for family members with dementia.” This finding draws attention to integrated medicine’s focus on the caregiver’s health, who is often a “hidden patient” in the care pathway.
Call to Institutions: Beyond the Emergency
Facing these figures, the Secretary General of the Alzheimer Italia Federation, Mario Possenti, described the situation as a true public health emergency.
“Not intervening today risks further worsening future challenges,” Possenti asserted, reiterating the need for Government and Institutions to provide concrete responses through:
- An effective update of the National Dementia Plan.
- Adequate funding for standardized care pathways.
- Rapid implementation of the Reform of Care for Non-Self-Sufficient Older Adults.
In a moment when European political focus seems to shift toward defense and economic competitiveness, Alzheimer Europe emphasizes the need to reposition research and social policies at the center of the agenda, calling for a dedicated research mission and a European Action Plan supported by structural funds.
For clinicians, the 2050 challenge begins today: the goal is not only early diagnosis but the building of an integrated support network that prevents the isolation of families facing the burden of the disease.
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