Dementia deaths among women at highest level in five years

Dementia is the leading cause of death in England and Wales

Alzheimer’s Society have warned dementia is taking a growing and disproportionate toll on women, after new analysis found deaths among women in England and Wales have climbed back to their highest level in five years – 45,874 in 2025.  

We are calling for dementia to be put firmly at the top of the health agenda as it remains the leading cause of death over other major health conditions – responsible for one in eight deaths last year.  

New analysis by Alzheimer’s Society of Office of National Statistics (ONS) data found that dementia remains the leading cause of death in England and Wales– responsible for one in eight of all deaths in 2025.  

This marks almost a decade of dementia as the UK’s biggest killer, excluding 2020 to 2021 when coronavirus became the most common cause.    

More women are dying from dementia than men

Between 2014 and 2025, total dementia deaths among men and women remained considerably higher than deaths from other major health conditions including heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.

For women, the statistics are bleaker. In 2025, 45,874 women died from dementia in England and Wales – the second highest number ever recorded. Dementia accounted for one in six of all female deaths, rising to one in four for women aged 80 and over.

This is second only to 2020 where 45,922 women died from dementia.  

These new findings expose the triple burden of dementia on women who are more likely to develop the condition, more likely die from it and more likely to provide unpaid care for those living with it.  

It adds to analysis of data that shows around two out of three people living with dementia are women, and 68% of unpaid carers of people with dementia are also women.

The impact of dementia on women

The disparity between women and men can partly be explained by women living longer on average but this doesn’t tell the full story.

Early signs of dementia can present differently in women, and are often wrongly attributed to menopause, depression and stress, which can lead to higher rates of misdiagnoses. Women are also particularly likely (35%) to feel apprehensive about seeking a dementia diagnosis which may prevent them from receiving the support they need.

Michelle Dyson CB, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society, said:

'As the UK’s biggest killer, dementia affects all of us. Yet it has a disproportionate impact on women compared to other major health conditions. They are more likely to develop the condition, die from it and bear the brunt of care.

This new data further emphasises the immense toll this condition has on women. They are repeatedly being failed by a system that is stuck in delay and denial. 

'Often not prioritised by professionals and unable to access the support they so desperately need, both as carers and as people living with the condition.

'The scale of the impact of dementia on women does not currently match the priority given to it by government. We must strive to better our understanding of the specific challenges faced by women with dementia through research, and the government must take urgent action to avoid another decade of failing people with dementia.'

Living without the right support

Ellen Turner, 68, from Bishops Hull, is living with vascular dementia. Before her own diagnosis, she was a carer for her mum who had the same condition. She said:  

'I knew the signs and symptoms of dementia from caring for Mum, so when l started noticing changes in myself, l went to my GP but was told l was too young at 63 to have it and sent away. More than a year passed before l finally got my diagnosis and the news left me feeling scared and alone.

So many women spend years caring for others, only to face the condition themselves later on. We are living longer, but too often we’re left to face dementia without the support that is desperately needed. 

'Dementia has shaped my life from both sides – as a carer and now as someone living with it – and it really shouldn’t be this hard to be heard and get help.'