17,345 Dementia Sufferers Reported Missing in Japan in 2025

Tokyo, June 25 (Jiji Press)–The number of dementia or suspected dementia sufferers who were reported missing in Japan in 2025 fell by 776 from the previous year to 17,345, the National Police Agency said Thursday. The figure marked the second consecutive year of decline but remained at a high level. Of the 2025 total, 573 were confirmed dead when they were found. In its first-ever analysis of leads that led to discoveries, the NPA found that reports from the public, including local residents and facilities, accounted for the largest share, at about 47 pct. Police activities such as questioning and patrols accounted for about 17 pct. Many missing people were found by residents who learned about them through email alerts from local governments. “It is important to make use of the eyes of local communities by working through networks of administrative offices and facilities,” the agency said. A total of 139 people used devices that provide location information, such as GPS trackers and tracking tags, for safety purposes. Of them, 118 people, or about 85 pct, were found safe on the day they were reported missing. The same-day recovery rate was about 17 percentage points higher than that for all missing dementia sufferers. There were three cases in which dementia sufferers were found dead despite carrying such devices. In those cases, the devices had malfunctioned after being submerged in water or their signals could not be detected in mountainous areas. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]