Netherlands will have 12 million chronically ill residents by 2050: RIVM
The number of people with chronic diseases in the Netherlands will grow to almost 12 million in 2050. Dementia and osteoarthritis, in particular, will grow enormously, nearly doubling by 2050, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported on Tuesday.
The main cause of the increase in chronic diseases in the Netherlands is the aging population. In 2022, there were 10.5 million Netherlands residents with at least one chronic disease. That will increase to nearly 12 million in 2050, according to the RIVM.
“The increase is greatest among people aged 75 and older,” the RIVM said. The number of people with three or more chronic conditions will increase from 3.3 to 4.3 million. “This number is increasing considerably faster than people with one or two permanent illnesses.”
The number of people with dementia will rise from 261,000 in 2022 to 506,000 in 2050, the RIVM expects. “These are not only elderly people: 6 percent of all people with dementia are between the ages of 40 and 65.” Dementia causes problems with memory, speech, recognition, and daily functioning.
The number of people with osteoarthritis, a form of rheumatism, will also nearly double, rising from 1.6 million in 2022 to 3 million in 2050. People with arthritis typically struggle with pain and partial or complete paralysis.
The RIVM also expects the number of private, work, and sports accidents to happen more often in 2050, and for more people to struggle with neck and back complaints and kidney failure. “On the other hand, lung cancer will decrease significantly,” the public health institute said.
These projections are part of the RIVM’s Public Health in the Future Exploration, a study conducted every four years into the developments in public health. The RIVM will publish the full report on November 27.
