A literature review of dementia literacy in China: From awareness to action as a driver of the 2024-2030 National Dementia Action Plan.

China is confronting a major public health challenge due to its rapidly ageing population and the world's largest number of people living with dementia. Low diagnosis rates, systemic care deficiencies and pervasive stigma further complicate this crisis. In response, the Chinese government launched the National Action Plan for Addressing Dementia in the Elderly (2024-2030), which sets a core goal of achieving 80% public awareness of dementia prevention and treatment. This literature review synthesises evidence on dementia-related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among key stakeholders in China-including the general public, older adults, family and professional caregivers and healthcare providers-to establish a national baseline for implementing the Action Plan. Drawing on published studies from national and regional surveys, community-based interventions and cross-sectional research, this review identifies major barriers: misconceptions that dementia is a 'normal' part of ageing, limited understanding of modifiable risk factors, entrenched stigma and inadequate training for caregivers and primary care providers. It also highlights methodological heterogeneity, a concentration of studies in eastern cities and limited evidence from rural and western regions, raising concerns about equity in both data and policy implementation. Although China's dementia literacy gaps resemble those in other middle- and high-income countries, the ambitious 80% awareness target underscores the need for broad, multistakeholder engagement. Achieving the Action Plan's objectives will require culturally sensitive, sustained public health education, stigma reduction initiatives, curriculum reform in medical and nursing training and systematic investment in dementia literacy and community support. To our knowledge, this is the first review to provide a national-level synthesis of dementia-related KAP across multiple stakeholder groups in China and to interpret these patterns as baseline evidence for the 2024-2030 National Dementia Action Plan.