Halfway into the implementation of the Global dementia action plan, the Global status report on the public health response to dementia takes stock of actions driven by Member States, WHO and civil society since the adoption of the global action plan, identifies barriers to its implementation especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights areas where urgent, accelerated action is required. The report includes updated estimates on dementia burden and costs globally based on WHO’s Global Health Estimates 2019 and the Global Burden of Disease study 2019. It also uses data submitted by 62 of WHO Member States to the Global Dementia Observatory. The report shows that while some progress is being made, urgent increased efforts are needed globally to reach the dementia targets by 2025.