Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (F01, F03, G30) became the second leading underlying cause of death of Australians in 2013, largely due to an increase in deaths of females due to these conditions. The number of deaths due to this cause has increased by 32.0% over the past five years from 8,280 in 2009 to 10,933 in 2013. This was largely due to an increase in deaths due to Dementia (F01, F03), which increased from 5,839 in 2009 to 7,603 in 2013.

Dementia and Alzheimer disease accounted for 10,933 deaths or 7.4% of all deaths of Australians. The sex ratio for deaths due to this cause was 50 male deaths per 100 female deaths. Table 2.5 shows the total number of deaths by sex due to Dementia and Alzheimer disease from 2009-2013.

2.5 DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER DISEASE(a), Australia - Selected years - 2009-2013(b)(c)
	Males	Females	Persons
2009	2 788	5 492	8 280
2010	2 920	6 083	9 003
2011	3 267	6 597	9 864
2012	3 405	6 962	10 367
2013	3 656	7 277	10 933
(a) Causes listed are the leading causes of death for all deaths registered in 2013, based on WHO recommended tabulation of leading causes. See Explanatory Notes 34-35 for further information.
(b) Causes of death data for 2013 are preliminary and subject to a revisions process. See Explanatory Notes 52-54 and Technical Notes, Causes of Death Revisions, 2006 in Causes of Death, Australia, 2010 and Causes of Death Revisions, 2011 and 2012 in this publication.
(c) See Explanatory Notes 70-95 for further information on specific issues relating to 2013 data.

Over the past 5 years (2009 to 2013), the proportion of deaths due to Ischaemic heart diseases (I20-I25) has decreased from 16.0% to 13.4%, while the proportion of Cerebrovascular diseases (I60-I69) has decreased from 8.0% to 7.1%. Over the same period, the proportion of deaths due to Dementia and Alzheimer disease (F01, F03, G30) has increased from 5.9% to 7.4%. This change in leading causes is illustrated in the graph below.