Japan Faces World's Fastest Aging with Nearly 20,000 Missing Dementia Patients Reported

Japan Records Highest Number of Dementia-Related Missing Persons for 11 Consecutive Years

In Japan, where the world's fastest aging population is underway, the number of missing person reports involving dementia patients nearly reached 20,000 last year.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 5th, the number of missing dementia patients reported to police stations nationwide in Japan last year was 19,039, an increase of 330 from the previous year. This marks the 11th consecutive year of record highs since related statistics began in 2012.

By age group, those in their 80s accounted for 11,224, those in their 70s were 6,838, and those 60 and under were 977, showing a sharp increase in missing dementia patients starting from the 70s. By gender, 55.7% were male and 44.3% were female.

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Nikkei analyzed, "The number has nearly doubled in nine years from 9,607 in 2012," and "As aging progresses further, the number of missing cases due to dementia is expected to continue rising." Japan, which entered a super-aged society in 2006, currently has about 3 out of 10 people aged 65 or older.

Including those reported before 2023, the total number of missing dementia patients who were found alive and returned home last year was 18,221. Among them, 17,988 were found within three days of the report, while the remaining 553 were found deceased.

Nikkei reported, "Some local governments have distributed GPS (Global Positioning System) devices or used drones for searches, which in some cases have led to early discovery of missing persons," and "Japanese investigative authorities are working with related organizations to develop countermeasures."

Meanwhile, in South Korea, the number of missing dementia patients is also increasing annually as the elderly population grows. According to the National Police Agency, there were 14,677 missing person reports involving dementia patients last year, an increase of 2,100 from 12,577 in 2021 and 150 from 14,527 in 2022. The police have implemented a 'pre-registration system for fingerprints and other data' since 2012 to respond to missing dementia cases, but the pre-registration rate remains below 30%.