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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Matthew PrinaORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2026 The Author(s). Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.Data on dementia epidemiology in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined dementia prevalence across MENA. Databases were searched up to October 2024. Analyses were stratified by country and sex. Pooled prevalence was estimated using a random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Fifty-two studies on the selected countries met inclusion criteria, covering 87,219 individuals with dementia from a total population of 1,045,908. The pooled prevalence was 12.16% (95% CI: 9.61–14.96) for the region and the Israel had the highest prevalence (17.00%), followed by Iran (13.20%), Turkey (11.40%), Saudi Arabia (8.34%), and Egypt (6.86%). Dementia was more common in women than men (13.84% vs. 8.69%). Dementia is prevalent in MENA, with significant variation across countries. The region's aging population highlights the need for ongoing monitoring of dementia trends.
Author(s): Sedighi M, Shahabi MH, Amanollahi A, Alam K, Shemehsavar S, Shirzadi Z, Sabatini S, Khatoonabadi AR, Prina M, Hosseini AA, Burley CV, Dunne J, Mahinrad S, Dajani I, Martins RN, Stephan BCM, Chaari A, Sohrabi HR
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Alzheimer's and Dementia
Year: 2026
Volume: 22
Issue: 1
Online publication date: 28/01/2026
Acceptance date: 14/12/2025
ISSN (print): 1552-5260
ISSN (electronic): 1552-5279
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Inc
URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71109
DOI: 10.1002/alz.71109
PubMed id: 41605847
