The World Health Organisation launches the Global Dementia Observatory (GDO)
As the global population ages, the number of people living with dementia is expected to triple from 50 million to 152 million by 2050. The estimated annual global cost of dementia is US$ 818 billion, equivalent to more than 1% of global gross domestic product. The total cost includes direct medical costs, social care and informal care (loss of income of carers). By 2030, the cost is expected to have more than doubled, to US$ 2 trillion, a cost that could undermine social and economic development and overwhelm health and social services, including long-term care systems.