Over half of Britons have been impacted by dementia in some way, new Ipsos poll reveals

Ipsos in the UK, in partnership with the Daily Mail, has released new polling on Dementia. It reveals that over half of Britons (54%) report knowing someone who has been diagnosed with dementia, a reflection of the increasingly significant societal and personal impacts of the condition. The online survey, conducted among 1,137 British adults aged 16 and over, sheds light on public awareness, belief, and experiences surrounding dementia. 

Impact of dementia

• Over half (54%) of Britons say that they have been affected by dementia in some way.
  • A third (33%) have lost a family member, friend, or someone else they knew to dementia.
  • 25% know someone with dementia who is not a friend or relative.
  • 21% say that a different type of relative has been diagnosed with dementia.
  • 9% say a friend of theirs has been diagnosed with dementia.
  • 1% say that their husband/wife/partner has been diagnosed with dementia, while less than 1% say they themselves have been diagnosed with the disease.

Perception of dementia care & treatment

• Around seven in ten (69%) Britons believe that the latest dementia drugs should be available through the NHS, irrespective of costs.
• 56% say that if there was a test that could tell them if they were going to develop dementia, they would want to take it to find out.
• 41% say that if they knew that they were going to develop dementia, they would want access to assisted dying/euthanasia before it happens.
• A third (33%) of Britons say they fear getting dementia more than cancer.
• 35% are not confident that if they developed dementia, they would receive a good standard of care in a hospital or care home if it was needed.
• A quarter (24%) incorrectly believe that there is nothing you can do to reduce your risk of dementia. 

Public understanding of dementia

• People generally have a good understanding of the symptoms of dementia, with memory loss (82%) and confusion (76%) the most commonly identified symptoms. Two in five (39%) correctly identify all the symptoms of dementia.
• However, there are misconceptions about the risk factors for dementia. The most commonly identified risk factors are traumatic brain injury (36%) and loneliness/social isolation (35%). Nearly all (89%) are not able to correctly identify half of the risk factors for dementia.
• Two thirds (66%) of Britons correctly assert that there is currently a drug that can ease some symptoms of dementia, with a similar percentage (65%) saying that there is a drug that can slow the progression of the disease. Where they think a drug exists, most people think it is available on the NHS.

Commenting on the findings, Kate Duxbury, Research Director at Ipsos said:
Our data, in partnership with the Daily Mail, highlights the far-reaching impact that dementia has on the UK population, with over half of Britons reporting personal connections to the disease (54%). There is a clear demand for action: 69% want the latest drugs to be available on the NHS regardless of the cost and 56% say they would take a test indicating future risk.  Despite a generally good grasp of dementia symptoms, the public know less about the risk factors for dementia and a quarter think there is nothing they can do to reduce their risk, highlighting a crucial area for public education and awareness initiatives.

Technical note: 

• Ipsos interviewed 1,137 online British adults aged 1 6+ from the 14th – 17th November 2025.  
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.