A record 19,039 people with dementia in Japan were reported missing in 2023 — nearly double the figure from 10 years earlier — with more than 500 of those having been found dead, according to the National Police Agency.

Among those who went missing, 18,221 of them, or 96%, were located last year. About 74% were found on the same day that a missing person report was filed for them.

Meanwhile, 553 people were found dead, the NPA said.

Men continued to outnumber women, a trend that has persisted for the past five years, with 10,597 (approximately 56%) of the missing individuals being male, while missing women amounted to 8,442.

More than half of them were age 80 and above while 36% were those in their 70s, according to the NPA data. Two people were in their 30s.

The prefecture with the largest number of missing persons was Hyogo, with 2,094, followed by Osaka (2,016) and Saitama (1,912).

Municipalities across the country have been devising various ways to keep track of the whereabouts of individuals with dementia.

For instance, Tokyo’s Ota and Itabashi wards implemented a system using a keychain with an ID number that links to the user’s personal information such as name, address and emergency contacts.

Some local governments also provided GPS devices to residents with dementia. Between July and December of last year, 71 people were found via such GPS devices, according to the NPA.

Amid a rapidly graying society, supporting people with dementia has become a key policy focus in Japan. A new dementia law that took effect in January outlines the need for the central and local governments to provide, for example, medical and welfare services so that people with the condition can live comfortably.

According to the health ministry, 4.4 million people age 65 and above had dementia in 2022. This figure is projected to rise to 5.84 million by 2040.

Information from Jiji added