The number of over-65s in England living with dementia reached a record high of 453,881 in May, a rise of more than 17,000 from the same time last year.
The increase has been driven by improved abilities to spot dementia and people living longer.
The NHS first started collecting data in 2016, when the number of over-65s diagnosed was 424,390. There has been a rise of around 29,000 in just three years, according to the figures reported by the Daily Mail.
Helen Davies, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said there needs to be a revolution in the way diseases that cause dementia are diagnosed and treated.
“We know that future dementia treatments will bring significant improvements to quality of life but will also have a major impact on our health system,” she stated.
In total, 470,234 people had a diagnosis by May, meaning there are 16,353 people in England living with dementia under the age of 65.
Dementia is expected to soar to one million patients by 2025 and two million by 2051.
Alistair Burns, the NHS’s director for dementia, said spotting dementia in a timely way means people get the care they need, when they need it.
“As the population ages, the NHS is having to run to keep up as dementia becomes a challenge for more and more families, which is why the NHS Long Term Plan sets out a blueprint for older people’s care and makes early diagnosis and treatment for major health problems a top priority,” he added.