July 2023

If nothing changes, one in two of us will be directly affected by dementia, either by developing the condition ourselves, caring for someone, or both.

With no treatments in the UK that can slow, stop, or cure dementia, the condition is expected to become the most expensive cause of death in the UK by 2030.

But thanks to research, there is new optimism. We’re now on the cusp of a first generation of treatments for this devastating disease - something that many thought impossible only a decade ago.

Sustained investment in dementia research is crucial to capitalise on this progress and accelerate the development of life-changing treatments, with the potential to transform the lives of people affected by dementia in the UK and stimulate economic growth.

Alzheimer's Research UK have commissioned an analysis with the Office of Health Economics to assess the current economic benefits of investing in dementia research and to explore the potential future impact with sustained growth. It shows, for the first time, the direct correlation between an increase in investment in dementia research and the impact this can have on growing the country’s economy.

The economic value of dementia research

Download the report
economic modelling

Key findings

  • Each £1 invested in dementia research generated £2.59 within the UK economy during 2019/2020.
  • This resulted in £529 million of economic impact, including 7,353 full-time equivalent jobs.
  • If the government's manifesto commitment to double dementia research funding to £160m by 2024 is realised, every £1 invested will generate almost four times that (£3.96) in economic impact.
  • Return on dementia investment will further increase with the availability of new disease-modifying treatments and advancements in prevention and diagnosis.
  • Six times as many people (12,213) could benefit from participating in clinical trials for dementia if UK participants were included at the average participation rate in all 224 global phase 3 interventional trials.

 

Millions of people have been saved thanks to investment in cancer research, we will not stop until we see the same for dementia. Over the next few months, we’ll be making the case that government and political parties must set out long-term strategic and sustainable plans for dementia research funding, spanning experimental discovery science all the way through to clinical research. If you’d like to help us campaign for long-term investment in dementia research, sign up to be a campaigner today.