Abstract

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of disability across population subgroups and disability rates for specific impairment types. Information is also available from the survey on barriers that disabled people encounter in their everyday lives, including their use of and need for support services and assistive devices.

Reference Period: Year, month, census day

Periodicity of Data Collection: Quarterly

Geographic coverage

Whole country

Analysis unit

Individuals

Universe

Population groups: All age groups

Total population covered: The survey covers almost the total population in NZ - those groups that are excluded from the survey make up only a very small percentage of the population, probably less than 2%

Economic activities: All economic activities

Sectors covered: All sectors

Labor force status: Employed persons, unemployed persons, persons outside labour force

Status in Employment: Employees, employers, own-account workers, contributing family workers, members of producers' cooperatives

Establishments: NR

Other limitations: People on offshore islands were excluded together with those living in prisons and psychiatric institutions

Classifications: Sex, age, level of education, other personal characteristics (e.g. marital status), status in employment, occupation, economic activity

Cross-classification: Highest educational qualification by disability status and sex, labour force status by disability status and sex, occupation by disability status, etc…

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Frequency of data collection

Periodicity of Data collection: Quarterly

New Zealand All Benefits: Supported Living Payment: Health Condition or Disability data was reported at 94,332.000 Number in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 94,056.000 Number for Feb 2025. New Zealand All Benefits: Supported Living Payment: Health Condition or Disability data is updated monthly, averaging 86,335.500 Number from Apr 2019 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 72 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 94,332.000 Number in Mar 2025 and a record low of 83,874.000 Number in Apr 2019. New Zealand All Benefits: Supported Living Payment: Health Condition or Disability data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Social Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.G085: Monthly Benefit and Supplementary Assistance. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Labour market statistics (disability) provides comparisons between labour market measures for disabled and non-disabled people in New Zealand. Information includes labour market participation and employment rates as well as differences in wages and salaries received.

New Zealand All Benefits: Supported Living Payment: Health Condition & Disability data was reported at 93,948.000 Number in 25 Oct 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 93,957.000 Number for 18 Oct 2024. New Zealand All Benefits: Supported Living Payment: Health Condition & Disability data is updated weekly, averaging 85,497.000 Number from Jan 2019 (Median) to 25 Oct 2024, with 304 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 93,957.000 Number in 18 Oct 2024 and a record low of 83,685.000 Number in 08 Feb 2019. New Zealand All Benefits: Supported Living Payment: Health Condition & Disability data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Social Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.G084: Weekly Benefit and Supplementary Assistance (Discontinued). [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Dataset contains counts and measures for individuals from the 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses. Data is available by statistical area 2.

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The variables included in this dataset are for the census usually resident population count (unless otherwise stated). All data is for level 1 of the classification (unless otherwise stated).

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The variables for part 1 of the dataset are:

• Census usually resident population count
• Census night population count
• Age (5-year groups)
• Age (life cycle groups)
• Median age
• Birthplace (NZ born/overseas born)
• Birthplace (broad geographic areas)
• Ethnicity (total responses) for level 1 and ‘Other Ethnicity’ grouped by ‘New Zealander’ and ‘Other Ethnicity nec’
• Māori descent indicator
• Languages spoken (total responses)
• Official language indicator
• Gender
• Cisgender and transgender status – census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
• Sex at birth
• Rainbow/LGBTIQ+ indicator for the census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
• Sexual identity for the census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
• Legally registered relationship status for the census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
• Partnership status in current relationship for the census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
• Number of children born for the sex at birth female census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
• Average number of children born for the sex at birth female census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
• Religious affiliation (total responses)
• Cigarette smoking behaviour for the census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
• Disability indicator for the census usually resident population count aged 5 years and over
• Difficulty communicating for the census usually resident population count aged 5 years and over
• Difficulty hearing for the census usually resident population count aged 5 years and over
• Difficulty remembering or concentrating for the census usually resident population count aged 5 years and over
• Difficulty seeing for the census usually resident population count aged 5 years and over
• Difficulty walking for the census usually resident population count aged 5 years and over
• Difficulty washing for the census usually resident population count aged 5 years and over.

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Download lookup file for part 1 from Stats NZ ArcGIS Online or embedded attachment in Stats NZ geographic data service. Download data table (excluding the geometry column for CSV files) using the instructions in the Koordinates help guide.

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Footnotes

Te Whata

Under the Mana Ōrite Relationship Agreement, Te Kāhui Raraunga (TKR) will be publishing Māori descent and iwi affiliation data from the 2023 Census in partnership with Stats NZ. This will be available on Te Whata, a TKR platform.

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Geographical boundaries

Statistical standard for geographic areas 2023 (updated December 2023) has information about geographic boundaries as of 1 January 2023. Address data from 2013 and 2018 Censuses was updated to be consistent with the 2023 areas. Due to the changes in area boundaries and coding methodologies, 2013 and 2018 counts published in 2023 may be slightly different to those published in 2013 or 2018.

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Subnational census usually resident population

The census usually resident population count of an area (subnational count) is a count of all people who usually live in that area and were present in New Zealand on census night. It excludes visitors from overseas, visitors from elsewhere in New Zealand, and residents temporarily overseas on census night. For example, a person who usually lives in Christchurch city and is visiting Wellington city on census night will be included in the census usually resident population count of Christchurch city.

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Population counts

Stats NZ publishes a number of different population counts, each using a different definition and methodology. Population statistics – user guide has more information about different counts.

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Caution using time series

Time series data should be interpreted with care due to changes in census methodology and differences in response rates between censuses. The 2023 and 2018 Censuses used a combined census methodology (using census responses and administrative data), while the 2013 Census used a full-field enumeration methodology (with no use of administrative data).

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Study participation time series

In the 2013 Census study participation was only collected for the census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over.

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About the 2023 Census dataset

For information on the 2023 dataset see Using a combined census model for the 2023 Census. We combined data from the census forms with administrative data to create the 2023 Census dataset, which meets Stats NZ's quality criteria for population structure information. We added real data about real people to the dataset where we were confident the people who hadn’t completed a census form (which is known as admin enumeration) will be counted. We also used data from the 2018 and 2013 Censuses, administrative data sources, and statistical imputation methods to fill in some missing characteristics of people and dwellings.

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Data quality

The quality of data in the 2023 Census is assessed using the quality rating scale and the quality assurance framework to determine whether data is fit for purpose and suitable for release. Data quality assurance in the 2023 Census has more information.

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Concept descriptions and quality ratings

Data quality ratings for 2023 Census variables has additional details about variables found within totals by topic, for example, definitions and data quality.

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Disability indicator

This data should not be used as an official measure of disability prevalence. Disability prevalence estimates are only available from the 2023 Household Disability Survey. Household Disability Survey 2023: Final content has more information about the survey.

Activity limitations are measured using the Washington Group Short Set (WGSS). The WGSS asks about six basic activities that a person might have difficulty with: seeing, hearing, walking or climbing stairs, remembering or concentrating, washing all over or dressing, and communicating. A person was classified as disabled in the 2023 Census if there was at least one of these activities that they had a lot of difficulty with or could not do at all.

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Using data for good

Stats NZ expects that, when working with census data, it is done so with a positive purpose, as outlined in the Māori Data Governance Model (Data Iwi Leaders Group, 2023). This model states that "data should support transformative outcomes and should uplift and strengthen our relationships with each other and with our environments. The avoidance of harm is the minimum expectation for data use. Māori data should also contribute to iwi and hapū tino rangatiratanga”.

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Confidentiality

The 2023 Census confidentiality rules have been applied to 2013, 2018, and 2023 data. These rules protect the confidentiality of individuals, families, households, dwellings, and undertakings in 2023 Census data. Counts are calculated using fixed random rounding to base 3 (FRR3) and suppression of ‘sensitive’ counts less than six, where tables report multiple geographic variables and/or small populations. Individual figures may not always sum to stated totals. Applying confidentiality rules to 2023 Census data and summary of changes since 2018 and 2013 Censuses has more information about 2023 Census confidentiality rules.

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Measures

Measures like averages, medians, and other quantiles are calculated from unrounded counts, with input noise added to or subtracted from each contributing value during measures calculations. Averages and medians based on less than six units (e.g. individuals, dwellings, households, families, or extended families) are suppressed. This suppression threshold changes for other quantiles. Where the cells have been suppressed, a placeholder value has been used.

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Percentages

To calculate percentages, divide the figure for the category of interest by the figure for 'Total stated' where this applies.

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Symbol

-997 Not available

-999 Confidential

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Inconsistencies in definitions

Please note that there may be differences in definitions between census classifications and those used for other data collections.

New Zealand All Benefits: Jobseeker Support: Health Condition or Disability data was reported at 92,412.000 Number in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 90,798.000 Number for Feb 2025. New Zealand All Benefits: Jobseeker Support: Health Condition or Disability data is updated monthly, averaging 75,507.000 Number from Apr 2019 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 72 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 92,922.000 Number in Dec 2024 and a record low of 58,330.000 Number in Apr 2019. New Zealand All Benefits: Jobseeker Support: Health Condition or Disability data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Social Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.G085: Monthly Benefit and Supplementary Assistance. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Labour market statistics (disability) provides comparisons between labour market measures for disabled and non-disabled people in New Zealand. Information includes labour market participation and employment rates as well as differences in wages and salaries received.

Statistics illustrates consumption, production, prices, and trade of Orthopaedic appliances; including crutches, surgical belts and trusses; splints and other fracture appliances; artificial parts of the body; hearing aids and other which are worn, carried or implanted in the body to compensate for a defect or disability in New Zealand from Jan 2019 to Nov 2025.

Labour market statistics (disability) provides comparisons between labour market measures for disabled and non-disabled people in New Zealand. Information includes labour market participation and employment rates as well as differences in wages and salaries received.

Statistics illustrates consumption, production, prices, and trade of Orthopaedic appliances; including crutches, surgical belts and trusses; splints and other fracture appliances; artificial parts of the body; hearing aids and other which are worn, carried or implanted in the body to compensate for a defect or disability in New Zealand from 2007 to 2024.

所有福利：求职者支持：健康或残疾状况在03-01-2025达92,412.000数量，相较于02-01-2025的90,798.000数量有所增长。所有福利：求职者支持：健康或残疾状况数据按月更新，04-01-2019至03-01-2025期间平均值为75,507.000数量，共72份观测结果。该数据的历史最高值出现于12-01-2024，达92,922.000数量，而历史最低值则出现于04-01-2019，为58,330.000数量。CEIC提供的所有福利：求职者支持：健康或残疾状况数据处于定期更新的状态，数据来源于Ministry of Social Development，数据归类于全球数据库的新西兰 – Table NZ.G085: Monthly Benefit and Supplementary Assistance。

所有福利：支援生活费：健康或残疾状况在03-01-2025达94,332.000数量，相较于02-01-2025的94,056.000数量有所增长。所有福利：支援生活费：健康或残疾状况数据按月更新，04-01-2019至03-01-2025期间平均值为86,335.500数量，共72份观测结果。该数据的历史最高值出现于03-01-2025，达94,332.000数量，而历史最低值则出现于04-01-2019，为83,874.000数量。CEIC提供的所有福利：支援生活费：健康或残疾状况数据处于定期更新的状态，数据来源于Ministry of Social Development，数据归类于全球数据库的新西兰 – Table NZ.G085: Monthly Benefit and Supplementary Assistance。

Labour market statistics (disability) provides comparisons between labour market measures for disabled and non-disabled people in New Zealand. Information includes labour market participation and employment rates as well as differences in wages and salaries received.

Te Kupenga is Tatauranga Aotearoa Stats NZ’s survey of Māori wellbeing.

The survey provides key statistics on four areas of Māori cultural wellbeing: wairuatanga (spirituality), tikanga (Māori customs and practices), Te reo Māori (the Māori language), and whanaungatanga (social connectedness). The survey’s content recognises practices and wellbeing outcomes that are specific to Māori culture, such as the knowledge and use of the Māori language, connection to marae, and whānau wellbeing.

This report provides an overview of children and young people in Out of Home care or with Oranga Tamariki involvement who are living with impairments and where this is identified by administrative data in Statistics NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI).

Child poverty statistics provide estimates of low income and material hardship rates for measures listed in the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018.

Child poverty statistics provide estimates of low income and material hardship rates for measures listed in the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018.