Geographic and socioeconomic areas

Among people who died with dementia, those who died due to COVID-19 were more likely to live in Victoria and Major cities

As most COVID-19 deaths in Australia occurred in Greater Melbourne, it is not surprising that the majority of people who died due to COVID-19 and also had dementia recorded on their death certificate, lived in Victoria or in Major cities (Figure 13).

People with dementia were also more likely to have lived in the lowest two socioeconomic areas than the highest two socioeconomic areas, and this was true whether or not they died due to COVID-19:

  • 55% of people with dementia who died due to COVID-19 lived in the two lowest socioeconomic areas; an equal proportion of people with dementia (55%) who died due to causes other than COVID-19 lived in the lowest two socioeconomic areas
  • 27% of people with dementia who died due to COVID-19 lived in the highest two socioeconomic areas; 26% of people with dementia who died due to causes other than COVID-19 lived in the highest two socioeconomic areas (Figure 13).

Figure 13: Percent of dementia deaths during the pandemic by states/territories, socioeconomic and remoteness areas, for deaths due to COVID-19 and deaths due to other causes.

This bar graph shows that during the first 10 months of 2020,  people with dementia who died due to COVID-19 were much more likely to have lived in Victoria and in Major Cities than people with dementia who died due to other causes. People with dementia were more likely to have lived in the lowest two socioeconomic areas than the highest two socioeconomic areas, and this was true whether or not they died due to COVID-19.