Rising Dementia Rates by 2040: The Growing Challenge for Carents

Medically Reviewed by: Dr Jackie Gray, Public Health Expert and Retired GP
(Carents Trusted Reviewer Programme – Last reviewed March 2026)

Dementia is set to become far more common, with many more families affected in the years ahead.

In 2024 there were around 982,000 people living with dementia in the UK. By 2040, that number is projected to rise to around 1.4 million people.

That means hundreds of thousands more families will find themselves caring for a parent, partner, or relative with dementia.

As life expectancy increases, so too does the likelihood of developing dementia in later life. More families will experience progressive memory loss, personality changes, and increasing care needs, often for many years.

Behind these figures are real households trying to balance work, finances, relationships, and complex care responsibilities, frequently with limited support.

The future of dementia care in the UK is not just a policy issue, it is a family issue.

As numbers rise, more people will become carers by default, often without warning or preparation. Many families do not identify as carers at first. They simply begin helping more, managing appointments, overseeing medication, handling finances, and stepping in when memory and independence begin to slip.

Over time, that help becomes care. Care becomes responsibility. Responsibility becomes constant.

For many families, this happens while juggling work, children, and their own health. The emotional toll is heavy, especially when support services are difficult to access or slow to respond. Long waiting lists, unclear eligibility, and inconsistent advice leave families feeling abandoned.

Understanding what is coming can help families plan earlier. But awareness alone is not enough. Families need systems that respond before crisis hits, not after.

As dementia rates rise, the number of people needing care and support will increase sharply.

The 2024 cost report highlights the scale of this growing demand. With nearly one million people already living with dementia and numbers projected to climb significantly, pressure on both health and social care systems will intensify.

For carents, this often means stepping in long before formal services are available. Many families provide care quietly, without training, guidance, or breaks, simply because there is no alternative.

While projections help local services anticipate future demand, planning alone does not guarantee that families will receive timely, accessible support when they need it.

The financial cost of dementia care is already enormous and continues to rise.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society’s 2024 report, the total annual cost of dementia in the UK is now around £42 billion. By 2040, this is projected to more than double to approximately £90 billion.

These costs include:

• Health care

• Social care

• Unpaid care provided by family and friends, including carents

Unpaid care represents a substantial proportion of the total cost. Families contribute billions of pounds worth of care each year through their time, lost income, and personal financial sacrifices.

Social care also makes up a major share of overall costs, and a significant proportion is paid directly by individuals and families who fund their own care.

When people talk about the cost of dementia care, unpaid care is often treated as a statistic rather than a lived reality. But unpaid dementia care comes with real costs for families.

Many carents reduce their working hours or leave work altogether. Savings are used up quickly. Pensions are affected. Everyday expenses rise as care needs increase. Travel, equipment, and home adaptations all add up.

There is also the cost that does not show up on a balance sheet. Exhaustion. Anxiety. Strain on relationships. Loss of personal time and independence.

Unpaid carers save the system billions each year, yet often struggle to access basic financial support, respite, or recognition. As dementia numbers rise and care becomes more complex, relying on unpaid care without proper support is not sustainable.

Families are already feeling that strain.

Dementia support for carers must change, not in ten years, but now.

The current system often expects families to cope until they reach breaking point. Help arrives late, if at all.

Carents need:

• Clear information early on

• Emotional support without long waits

• Practical help that adapts as dementia progresses

• Financial guidance that is easy to understand

Support should not depend on how loudly someone asks or how close they are to crisis. Early intervention can reduce burnout, prevent hospital admissions, and improve quality of life for both carers and those living with dementia.

If services continue to rely heavily on unpaid carers without meaningful backing, the system will fail the very people holding it together.

These figures highlight the growing number of carents caring for loved ones with dementia.

With costs already at £42 billion annually and projected to more than double by 2040, the scale of the challenge is clear.

Many carers feel a strong sense of responsibility and love for the person they support. But that does not cancel out the strain. Carents often report feeling overwhelmed, under-supported, and unsure where to turn when care needs escalate.

Practical help can be hard to access. Emotional support is often missing. Financial pressure builds quietly over time.

Without urgent investment, meaningful policy change, and better-designed dementia services, families will continue to carry the weight alone. If we want people to live well with dementia, we must also support the people caring for them.

Medically reviewed by Dr Jackie Gray, March 2026