Updated prevalence and future projections of persons with dementia in the Maltese Islands with a focus on regionality, citizenship and costs

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The global dementia prevalence is expected to double every twenty years. Previous local estimates of persons with dementia were based upon projections that did not account for the current population growth. Moreover, the prevalence of such individuals who are non-Maltese citizens, as well as the economic cost were never estimated. The main objective of this study was to provide updated figures on local prevalence rates of persons with dementia living in the Maltese Islands.

METHODS: To estimate the dementia prevalence rates, the World Health Organisation’s prevalence figures for the European region based on sex and age were used to determine the Maltese adult dementia population for each age/sex group according to data obtained from the 2021 Census. The same method was adopted to calculate the prevalence of persons with dementia who are non-Maltese citizens and for each local district. The estimates for the years 2025 to 2060 were calculated using the Eurostat population projections database.

RESULTS: The number of persons with dementia in Malta for the year 2021 was found to be 7,988 (1.54% of the total Maltese population), with 5.3% being non-Maltese citizens and 29 per cent living in the Northern Harbour district. This figure is expected to increase to 21,523 persons by the year 2060. The cost of dementia in the Maltese Islands in 2021 was estimated to range between €220-€260 million.

CONCLUSION: The projected increase in dementia prevalence in the Maltese Islands is being driven by population ageing and population growth with the latter becoming a significantly important contributor. Local policy makers need to increase capacity of high-quality health and social care provision and reduce the incidence of dementia by targeting modifiable risk factors.