The number of Dutch people with a brain disorder continues to rise

The number of Dutch people suffering from stroke, dementia or mental illness continues to rise. The Dutch Brain Foundation created this on the basis of recently released data from the Primary Care Registry (NIVEL) for the year 2021. This is in line with the 2040 picture of the number of people with a brain disorder identified by the RIVM in 2018. This increase has a significant impact on the whole of society .

Predictions for 2040 regarding brain disorders published by the RIVM in 2018 revealed a worrying trend. In 2040, the RIVM predicts that more than 1 million Dutch people will suffer (the consequences of) stroke, Parkinson’s disease or dementia. Based on the actual number of reports of these three brain disorders in the primary care registry (NIVEL) over the course of 2021, 372,000 Dutch people were registered with stroke, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. This is already an increase and if we do nothing, it will only increase in the coming years. This is an alarming picture of the future, especially since Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and stroke are just three of the hundreds of brain disorders that occur.

Great strides have already been made in the field of brain research in recent years, so it is expected that fewer Dutch people will die from the consequences of a brain disorder in 2040. However, more people will have to learn to live with the consequences of a brain disorder. All this ensures that society as a whole – patients, relatives, informal caregivers and healthcare professionals – will be more vulnerable to brain disorders and their consequences.

Invest in the future

It is therefore very important to focus on a future free of brain disorders, by making way for pioneering solutions that help prevent, slow or treat brain disorders. Currently, more than four million Dutch people (4,261,700) suffer from a brain disorder, half of them suffer from a mental disorder (2,187,600). This costs society €30 billion annually in healthcare costs. Based on projections from the prospective study on the number of people with a brain disorder, the expectation is that this number will only increase in the coming years. We must continue to invest in research and education and put the importance of our brains on the public and political agenda.

Brain Foundation Collection Week

Help the Brain Foundation build the case for a future in which everyone is of sound mind. Give to collectors during collection week Monday, January 30th to Saturday, February 4th, 2023*. Over 19,000 volunteers go door-to-door using the collection box* and over 10,000 people have an online collection box to raise money for all people with a brain disorder. Point to Collector (online) or to: www.hersenstichting.nl/doneer