In 2023, the U.S. states with the highest share of the population that had a disability were West Virginia, Arkansas, and Kentucky. At that time, around 19.7 percent of the population of West Virginia had some form of disability. The states with the lowest rates of disability were New Jersey, Utah, and Minnesota. Disability in the United States A disability is any condition, either physical or mental, that impairs one’s ability to do certain activities. Some examples of disabilities are those that affect one’s vision, hearing, movement, or learning. It is estimated that around 14 percent of the population in the United States suffers from some form of disability. The prevalence of disability increases with age, with 46 percent of those aged 75 years and older with a disability, compared to just six percent of those aged 5 to 15 years. Vision impairment One common form of disability comes from vision impairment. In 2023, around 3.6 percent of the population of West Virginia had a vision disability, meaning they were blind or had serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses. The leading causes of visual disability are age-related and include diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. This is clear when viewing the prevalence of vision disability by age. It is estimated that 8.3 percent of those aged 75 years and older in the United States have a vision disability, compared to 4.3 percent of those aged 65 to 74 and only 0.9 percent of those aged 5 to 15 years.

In 2023, it was estimated that around 14 percent of the population of the U.S. had some form of disability, such as a vision disability, hearing disability, or cognitive disability. This statistic presents the percentage of people in the U.S. who had a disability from 2008 to 2023.

Users can access data pertaining to individuals with disabilities. Topics include but are not limited to: people with disabilities’ access to employment, technology, healthcare, and community based services. Background The Disability Statistics Center is based at the Institute for Health and Aging at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The Disability Statistics Center generates reports ranging from employment opportunities, Medicaid home and community-based services, mobility device use, computer and internet use, wheelchair use, vocational rehabilitation, education, medical expenditures, and functional limitations among people with disabilities. User functiona lity Data is presented in report or abstract form and can be downloaded in PDF or HTML formats by clicking on the publications link. All reports and abstracts use United States data. Additional data sources are listed under “Finding Disability Data” and include data from the United States as well as international data. Data Notes The data sources are clearly referenced for each article. The most recent publications are from 2003. There is no indication on the site when the data will be updated.

The prevalence of disabilities in the United States shows a clear correlation with age, with nearly half of Americans aged 75 and older experiencing some form of disability. This stark contrast to younger age groups highlights the increasing challenges faced by the elderly population in maintaining their independence and quality of life. Disability rates across age groups According to 2023 data, only 0.7 percent of children under 5 years old have a disability, compared to 6.3 percent of those aged 5 to 15. The percentage rises steadily with age, reaching 11.2 percent for adults between 21 and 64 years old. A significant jump occurs in the 65 to 74 age group, where 23.9 percent have a disability. The most dramatic increase is seen in those 75 and older, with 45.3 percent experiencing some form of disability. These figures underscore the importance of accessible services and support systems for older Americans. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) The prevalence of disabilities among younger Americans has significant implications for the education system. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law in the United States that guarantees the right to a free appropriate education for children with disabilities. In the 2021/22 academic year, 7.26 million disabled individuals aged 3 to 21 were covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This number includes approximately 25,000 children with traumatic brain injuries and 434,000 with intellectual disabilities.

Number and proportion of persons by sex, age and urbanization for different disability types and different disability cut-off points.

Find more Pacific data on PDH.stat.

Graph and download economic data for Population - With a Disability, 16 Years and over (LNU00074597) from Jun 2008 to Aug 2025 about disability, civilian, 16 years +, population, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - With a Disability, 16 Years and over (LNU04074597) from Jun 2008 to Aug 2025 about disability, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Employment outcomes for disabled people in the UK aged 16 to 64 years, with analysis by age, sex, impairment type, country, region, type of occupation and working patterns using Annual Population Survey (APS) data.

Differences in the number and proportion of persons with and without disabilities, aged 15 years and over, by census metropolitan areas.

This statistical release makes available the most recent Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Dataset (MHLDDS) final monthly data (September 2015). This publication presents a wide range of information about care delivered to users of NHS funded secondary mental health and learning disability services in England. The scope of the Mental Health Minimum Dataset (MHMDS) was extended to cover Learning Disability services from September 2014. Many people who have a learning disability use mental health services and people in learning disability services may have a mental health problem. This means that activity included in the new MHLDDS dataset cannot be distinctly divided into mental health or learning disability spells of care - a single spell of care may include inputs from either of both types of service. The Currencies and Payment file that forms part of this release is specifically limited to services in scope for currencies and payment in mental health services and remains unchanged. This information will be of particular interest to organisations involved in delivering secondary mental health and learning disability care to adults and older people, as it presents timely information to support discussions between providers and commissioners of services. The MHLDS Monthly Report also includes reporting by local authority for the first time. For patients, researchers, agencies, and the wider public it aims to provide up to date information about the numbers of people using services, spending time in hospital and subject to the Mental Health Act (MHA). Some of these measures are currently experimental analysis. The Currency and Payment (CaP) measures can be found in a separate machine-readable data file and may also be accessed via an on-line interactive visualisation tool that supports benchmarking. This can be accessed through the related links at the bottom of the page. This release also includes a note about the new experimental data file and the issuing of the ISN for the Mental Health Services Dataset (MHSDS). During summer 2015 we undertook a consultation on Adult Mental Health Statistics, seeking users views on the existing reports and what might usefully be added to our reports when the new version of the dataset (MHSDS) is implemented in 2016. A report on this consultation can be found below. Please note: The Monthly MHLDS Report published in February will cover November final data and December provisional data and will be the last publication from MHLDDS. Data for January 2016 will be published under the new name of Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics, with a first release of provisional data planned for March 2016. A Methodological Change paper describing changes to these monthly reports will be issued in the New Year.

Key Table Information.Table Title.Disability Characteristics.Table ID.ACSST1Y2024.S1810.Survey/Program.American Community Survey.Year.2024.Dataset.ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables.Source.U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates.Dataset Universe.The dataset universe of the American Community Survey (ACS) is the U.S. resident population and housing. For more information about ACS residence rules, see the ACS Design and Methodology Report. Note that each table describes the specific universe of interest for that set of estimates..Methodology.Unit(s) of Observation.American Community Survey (ACS) data are collected from individuals living in housing units and group quarters, and about housing units whether occupied or vacant. For more information about ACS sampling and data collection, see the ACS Design and Methodology Report..Geography Coverage.ACS data generally reflect the geographic boundaries of legal and statistical areas as of January 1 of the estimate year. For more information, see Geography Boundaries by Year.Estimates of urban and rural populations, housing units, and characteristics reflect boundaries of urban areas defined based on 2020 Census data. As a result, data for urban and rural areas from the ACS do not necessarily reflect the results of ongoing urbanization..Sampling.The ACS consists of two separate samples: housing unit addresses and group quarters facilities. Independent housing unit address samples are selected for each county or county-equivalent in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, with sampling rates depending on a measure of size for the area. For more information on sampling in the ACS, see the Accuracy of the Data document..Confidentiality.The Census Bureau has modified or suppressed some estimates in ACS data products to protect respondents' confidentiality. Title 13 United States Code, Section 9, prohibits the Census Bureau from publishing results in which an individual's data can be identified. For more information on confidentiality protection in the ACS, see the Accuracy of the Data document..Technical Documentation/Methodology.Information about the American Community Survey (ACS) can be found on the ACS website. Supporting documentation including code lists, subject definitions, data accuracy, and statistical testing, and a full list of ACS tables and table shells (without estimates) can be found on the Technical Documentation section of the ACS website.Sample size and data quality measures (including coverage rates, allocation rates, and response rates) can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Methodology section.Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see ACS Technical Documentation). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables.Users must consider potential differences in geographic boundaries, questionnaire content or coding, or other methodological issues when comparing ACS data from different years. Statistically significant differences shown in ACS Comparison Profiles, or in data users' own analysis, may be the result of these differences and thus might not necessarily reflect changes to the social, economic, housing, or demographic characteristics being compared. For more information, see Comparing ACS Data..Weights.ACS estimates are obtained from a raking ratio estimation procedure that results in the assignment of two sets of weights: a weight to each sample person record and a weight to each sample housing unit record. Estimates of person characteristics are based on the person weight. Estimates of family, household, and housing unit characteristics are based on the housing unit weight. For any given geographic area, a characteristic total is estimated by summing the weights assigned to the persons, households, families or housing units possessing the characteristic in the geographic area. For more information on weighting and estimation in the ACS, see the Accuracy of the Data document.Although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, the decennial census is the official source of population totals for April 1st of each decennial year. In between censuses, the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities, and towns and estimates of hous...

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) outcomes for disabled people in England and Wales aged 16 and over, with analysis by disability status, country, sex, age, impairment type, type of ASB. Domestic abuse and sexual assault outcomes for disabled people in England and Wales aged 16 to 59 years, with analysis by disability status, age, sex, impairment type, impairment severity, country and region. All outcomes using the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) data.

Loneliness outcomes for disabled people in England aged 16 years and over, with analysis by age, sex, impairment severity and region using the Community Life Survey (CLS) data.

Graph and download economic data for Employment-Population Ratio - With a Disability, 16 Years and over (LNU02374597) from Jun 2008 to Aug 2025 about disability, employment-population ratio, 16 years +, household survey, population, employment, and USA.

This indicator provides number and percentage of persons with a disability (one or more) within each age group. Disability status is determined for the civilian non-institutionalized population who responded to questions regarding six types of difficulty and may vary by age. For children under 5 years old, hearing and vision difficulty are used to determine disability status. For children between the ages of 5 and 14, disability status is determined from hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, and self-care difficulties. For people aged 15 years and older, they are considered to have a disability if they have difficulty with any one of the six difficulty types. *Refers to the percent of those with a disability within the specific age group.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table S1810.

The aim of this publication is to provide information about the key differences in healthcare between people with a learning disability and those without. It contains aggregated data on key health issues for people who are recorded by their GP as having a learning disability, and comparative data about a control group who are not recorded by their GP as having a learning disability. Six new indicators were introduced in the 2022-23 reporting year for patients with and without a recorded learning disability. These relate to: • Patients with an eating disorder • Patients with both an eating disorder and autism diagnosis • Patients with a diagnosis of autism who are currently treated with antidepressants More information on these changes can be found in the Data Quality section of this publication. Data has been collected from participating practices using EMIS and Cegedim Healthcare Systems GP systems.

According to a survey carried out in the United Kingdom in 2023/24, ** percent of the population in the North East of England were living with some kind of disability. The disability prevalence across the UK as a whole was ** percent. This statistic depicts the prevalence of disability in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023/24, by region and country.

Labour market status of disabled people, UK, published quarterly, non-seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey. These are official statistics in development.

This dataset provides Census 2021 estimates that classify usual residents in England and Wales by long-term health problems or disabilities, sex, age and level of deprivation. The estimates are as at Census Day, 21 March 2021. Age-standardisation allows for comparisons between populations that may contain proportions of different ages.

Census questions relating to disability enable different levels of detail in relation to the presence of conditions and extent of activity limitation people experience. For simplicity, we have referred to these as ‘categories’ as shown in the table below. We consider the Census 2021, 2011 and 2001 questions to be broadly comparable. However, the 2021 Census disability question changed compared with 2011 to align more closely with the Equality Act (2010). The potential influence of question changes should be considered when drawing comparisons between years, particularly for older age groups.

Age specific percentage

Age-specific percentages are estimates of disability prevalence in each age group, and are used to allow comparisons between specified age groups.

Age-standardised percentage

Age-standardised percentages are estimates of disability prevalence in the population, across all age groups. They allow for comparison between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure.

Details can be found here

Category

The measures of disability in each Census (2021, 2011 and 2001) enable different categorisations of responses to the question. These provide different levels of detail from the responses provided. Further information on the categories available is given in the "Questions_asked" sheet.

Count

The count is the number of usual residents in each category (disabled, non-disabled, disabled; limited a lot, disabled; limited a little, Non-disabled; with non-limiting condition, Non-disabled; no condition), sex, age group and geographic breakdown. To ensure that individuals cannot be identified in the data, counts and populations have been rounded to the nearest 5, and counts under 10 have not been included.

Disability

The definition of disability used in the 2021 Census is aligned with the definition of disability under the Equality Act (2010) . A person is considered disabled if they self-report having a physical or mental health condition or illness that has lasted or is expected to last 12 months or more, and that this reduces their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. Please see the questions asked tab to see how disability was defined in 2021.

Index of Multiple Deprivation and Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation

National deciles and quintiles of area deprivation are created through ranking small geographical populations known as Lower layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs), based on their deprivation score from most to least deprived. They are then grouped into 10 (deciles) or 5 (quintiles) divisions based on the subsequent ranking. We have used the 2019 IMD and WIMD because this is the most up-to-date version at the time of publishing.

Population

The population is the number of usual residents of each sex, age group and geographic breakdown. To ensure that individuals cannot be identified in the data, counts and populations have been rounded to the nearest 5, and counts under 10 have not been included.

Usual resident

For Census 2021, a usual resident of the UK is anyone who, on census day, was in the UK and had stayed or intended to stay in the UK for a period of 12 months or more or had a permanent UK address and was outside the UK and intended to be outside the UK for less than 12 months.