The Korea Herald

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[Graphic News] 10% of S. Korean seniors suffer from dementia

By Nam Kyung-don

Published : Jan. 2, 2019 - 17:44

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More than 1 in 10 South Korean senior citizens live with dementia, data showed, with the number expected to reach 2 million by 2039 due to the rapidly aging population.

According to the data compiled by the National Institute of Dementia, 10.2 percent of Koreans aged 65 and above had dementia as of 2018. It was the first time the figure exceeded the 10 percent mark, the institute said. The 2017 figure stood at 9.95 percent.

The total number of dementia patients came to 750,000: 275,000 men and 475,000 women. Among people over 60, the figure came to 7.2 percent or 770,000 patients.