The number of people with dementia who have gone missing doubled between 2012 and 2022, according to a report released by the National Police Agency on Thursday.

A total of 18,709 people with dementia were reported missing in 2022, up 6.1% from the previous year, making it the highest number on record. The number of dementia-related cases has increased every year since the agency began keeping count in 2012, when 9,607 cases were reported.

This trend will most likely continue as the population in Japan continues to age and the number of people with dementia increases. Currently, over 6 million people are said to have the disease and it is estimated that by 2025, 7 million people — or 1 in 5 people over the age of 65 — will be diagnosed with it.

As the issue of dementia patients going missing becomes increasingly prevalent, various municipalities and organizations have begun to devise plans to prevent such incidents.

Some are working with telecommunication companies to utilize smartphone apps to help track missing individuals. Others have implemented electronic tracking systems within cities to monitor the location of people with dementia.

The welfare ministry has also established a special website for families looking for missing elderly people with dementia.

Out of the total number of people missing with dementia — including those who went missing prior to 2022 — 17,923 were found in 2022 while 491 people were reported to have died. Of the people who were found, 77.5% were found the day they were reported missing and 99.5% were found within a week.

According to the same report, in 2022, a total of 84,910 people were reported as missing, up 5,692 from the year before.

The total number of missing person cases has increased two years in a row since 2020, which was an all-time low, most likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The age group with the most missing person cases was people in their 20s, with 16,848 cases, with work-related issues such as job loss or relationships at work being the most commonly cited reason. Second highest was people in their teens, with 14,959 cases reported, for whom family-related issues were the most common factor.