Dementia Overtakes Heart Disease as Australia’s Top Killer

Data shows dementia accounted for 9.4 percent of deaths in 2024, overtaking heart disease at 8.7 percent for the first time.

With the increasing number of countries entering an aged society, dementia has become a pressing issue that a lot of families and the general public need to face. Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock

Dementia has overtaken heart disease as Australia’s leading cause of death, with new ABS data showing more than 17,500 deaths linked to the condition in 2024.

Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, accounted for over 17,500 deaths last year, making it the nation’s top killer for the first time, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).