Health Japan records 17,345 missing people with dementia in 2025

[thomas]

According to the NPA, the number of people with dementia or suspected dementia reported missing to police stood at 17,345 in 2025, down by nearly 800 from the previous year but still high.

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Of the 16,729 people whose whereabouts or deaths were confirmed during the year, 139 were found through GPS devices or similar tracking tools. More than 80 per cent of those cases were resolved on the same day the missing-person report was filed. The National Police Agency is urging families and carers to make greater use of GPS devices, saying they can help locate and protect people with dementia more quickly when they go missing.

17,345 People With Dementia Go Missing in Japan Last Year

The number of people with dementia or suspected dementia who were reported missing to police totaled 17,345 in 2025, down by nearly 800 from the previous year but still at a high level, according to a National Police Agency summary.

newsonjapan.com

Just for comparison:

Japan is one of the few countries to publish nationwide police statistics on missing people with dementia. In the United Kingdom, researchers estimate that around 40,000 people with dementia go missing for the first time each year. At the same time, in the United States, no comparable national figures are available. However, the Alzheimer's Association estimates that six in ten people with dementia will wander at least once during the course of their illness.

Study explores views on new technology to locate missing people with dementia | Join Dementia Research

Face-matching technology, together with an online form to locate people with dementia who have gone missing faster, are being assessed in a new study.

news.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk

 

[johnnyG]

Misleading headline...!

 

[thomas]

Misleading headline...!

Thanks! I'm glad someone is checking.