The number of people with dementia who were reported missing hit a record high in 2016, figures released Thursday show, highlighting the difficulty in dealing with elderly care in a rapidly aging society.

The National Police Agency said 15,432 people with dementia, including those suspected to be suffering from the condition, were reported missing in 2016, up 26.4 percent from the previous year. The upward trend has been constant since the agency started keeping statistics five years ago.

The agency's data showed that the figure, which stood at 9,607 in 2012, surpassed 10,000 for a fourth consecutive year.