Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias not only cause suffering to the individual but have high societal and economic costs. This column estimates that, globally, these diseases contributed to a loss of 33.1 million years of full health (measured in disability-adjusted life years) in 2019. Over the next 30 years, the loss could more than triple, with the burden increasingly falling on low- and middle-income countries. To ensure the future health and functioning of an ageing global community, the global community must invest effectively and efficiently in R&D and scale effective supportive interventions for Alzheimer’s and related dementias.