Alzheimer's death rates in the U.S. in 2021, by state

In 2021, the U.S. states with the highest death rates from Alzheimer’s disease were Mississippi, Alabama, and Vermont. At that time, the death rate due to Alzheimer’s disease in South Dakota was 44 per 100,000 population. However, the state with the highest total number of deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease that year was California, with 16,911 such deaths.

Alzheimer’s disease among the leading causes of death in the U.S.

As of 2021, Alzheimer’s disease was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. The death rate due to Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. has more than doubled over the past couple of decades, reaching an estimated 37 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019. Age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s, so it is no surprise that the death rate from the disease increases significantly with age. For example, in 2021, the Alzheimer’s death rate among those aged 85 years and older was 1,244 per 100,000 population, compared to a rate of 214 per 100,000 population among those aged 75 to 84 years.

How many people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s disease?

It was estimated that in 2020, around 6.1 million people aged 65 years and older in the United States were living with Alzheimer’s disease. This figure is expected to increase to around 8.5 million by the year 2030. A rise in life expectancy and the increasing elderly population go some ways in explaining the increase in Alzheimer's in the United States. However, a growing number of Americans are also living with known modifiable Alzheimer’s risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.