DEATHS linked to Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases have surged in Malaga in the last year, experts have warned.
New figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) show that 1,365 people died from Alzheimer’s or dementia-related illnesses in Malaga during 2025.
The biggest surge came from senile and presenile mental disorders, which jumped by 33.7% with 849 deaths, and Alzheimer’s disease, which claimed 516 lives – a 4.2% spike.
The figures place dementia-related mortality as the leading cause of death in the region – overtaking previous top contenders such as respiratory cancers, cerebrovascular diseases, and other heart conditions.
Experts attribute this alarming spike to the province’s rapidly growing ageing population, with results also highlighting a stark imbalance between sexes.
Gender analysis reveals that women make up most of these dementia deaths, with 68% of the 849 being women – 577, compared to only 272 men.
This significant gap is likely due to the fact that women tend to live longer, experts say, increasing the likelihood of developing age-related health conditions.
Despite this rise in brain disease-related mortality, overall death rates in Malaga increased only slightly – with cancer cementing its role as the biggest killer.
On a more positive note, the statistics also show that non-natural causes of death have fallen over the past year.
Suicides, accidents, homicides or overdoses fell by 19.1% – just under 500, after a particularly tragic year of over 600 in 2024.
These stats show that despite the positive decline in violent deaths, the rise in brain disease-related deaths clearly emphasises the public health challenge of dealing with a growing ageing population.
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