Despite the declining population, the number of people with dementia will more than double: from 193,516 in 2018 (1.88% of the population) to 346,905 in 2050 (3.82% of the population), says the report released today by Alzheimer Europe during a European Parliament lunch-debate organised by Christophe Hansen, MEP from Luxembourg.

"Portugal surpasses the European trend with the numbers almost doubling in 2050", says a statement to Alzheimer Portugal.

According to the document, "a determining factor in this change will be a significant increase in the number of people over 70 years old and, in particular, the range of people over 85 years old, which will more than double between 2018 and 2050".

For Rosário Zincke dos Reis, a member of the national board of Alzheimer Portugal, “this data is very alarming and there is no time to lose in creating and implementing policies for people with dementia and their caregivers”.

"These policies will, of course, have to include a strong focus on prevention, which is probably responsible for the decrease in prevalence in Europe, as shown by the study presented by Alzheimer Europe", says Rosário Zincke dos Reis in the statement