This page presents an overview of dementia in India, using a graphic representation, a snapshot from 2015 – status as in 2015, projections made in 2015, problems that families face in dementia care, and various ways in which families living with dementia can be supported. The panel at the bottom of each image gives the source for all quotes and numbered claims. If the image does not load properly, you can view it on Slideshare in a new window at this link: Dementia In India, 2015: An Infographic Opens in new window. This includes share information.
For those interested in getting a more up-to-date understanding, see our notes below the infographic for possible sources to use (or click here to reach that section).
View it as a four-part series below.
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For the Hindi version, see on Slideshare Opens in new window or the Hindi site Opens in new window.
Tips to locate more current data for a revised depiction.
Some sources to use to get more current data. In general, see the citations above for ideas on a starting point.
Population size and age distribution: national census data and UN population projections.
Life expectancy: published periodically by India’s Sample Registration System (Registrar General of India) and the UN Population Division.
Dementia prevalence: estimates vary widely by study and methodology. One approach is to identify the most frequently cited source and paper, likely to be a report from LASI (Longitudinal Ageing Study in India) – see our reports page here.
Diagnosis/treatment gap: the “1 in 10” figure, from a 2009 Indian study, remains the most-cited number as of 2024, but check current reports for anything more recent.
Care-home/day-care capacity: no single authoritative count exists (the Dementia India Report 2010 had some figures, but these are outdated now). Since the infographic’s point is presenting the size of the gap rather than an exact number, a reasonable upper bound is the total capacity of all old age homes in India — figures that may surface in Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment scheme data or Parliamentary disclosures. Given the scale of India’s dementia population, this gap is very unlikely to have closed.
Parts 2 and 4 describe how Indian families experience dementia care and what could help — less about specific data, more about lived experience, which we believe remains broadly relevant today.
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