Disability Statistics: Information, Charts, Graphs and Tables

Author: Disabled World (DW)
Updated/Revised Date: 13 Jun 2026

Contents: Synopsis - Definition - Introduction - Main - Publications - Subtopics

Synopsis: World health and disability statistics including data and facts on age, area, types, and population numbers of people with disabilities.

At a Glance

1 - A UK study found the poverty rate for disabled people was 23.1 percent versus 17.9 percent for non-disabled people, but once the extra expenses of being disabled were factored in, that rate jumped to 47.4 percent.
2 - Census results can swing dramatically depending on how disability is measured - Brazil reported just 1 to 2 percent in 1991, then 14.5 percent in 2001.
3 - According to UNESCO, 90 percent of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school, while violence against children with disabilities occurs at rates at least 1.7 times higher than for their peers.

Topic Definition: Disability Statistics: Disability statistics are the collected figures and measurements that describe how many people live with disabilities, who they are, and how their lives compare to those of people without disabilities. They pull together data on things like age, gender, geographic region, type of impairment, income, and access to education and employment, drawing on sources such as national censuses, government surveys, and international bodies like the World Bank, the World Health Organization, Disabled World, and the United Nations. Because countries define and count disability in different ways, these numbers can vary widely from one place to the next, which is why they are often presented through charts, tables, and graphs that make patterns easier to compare. At their core, disability statistics give researchers, policymakers, advocates, and the public a clearer picture of the world's largest minority group, helping to expose inequalities and guide decisions about services, rights, and support.

Introduction

Having a disability places you in the world's largest minority group. Currently, around 10% of the world's population, or roughly 650 million people, live with a disability. In most of the OECD countries, females have higher rates of disability than males.

Eighty percent of persons with disabilities live in developing countries, according to the UN Development Program (UNDP). The World Bank estimates that 20 percent of the world's poorest people have some kind of disability, and tend to be regarded in their communities as the most disadvantaged. Statistics show a steady increase in these numbers. The reasons include:

Emergence of new diseases and other causes of impairment, such as HIV/AIDS, stress and alcohol and drug abuse;
Increasing life span and numbers of elderly persons, many of whom have impairments;
Projected increases in the number of disabled children over the next 30 years, particularly in the developing countries, due to malnutrition, diseases, child labor and other causes;
Armed conflict and violence. For every child killed in warfare, three are injured and acquire a permanent form of disability. In some countries, up to a quarter of disabilities result from injuries and violence, says WHO.

Main Content

In countries with life expectancies over 70 years of age, people spend on average about 8 years, or 11.5 percent of their life span, living with disabilities.

The two-way link between poverty and disability creates a vicious circle. Poor people are more at risk of acquiring a disability because of lack of access to good nutrition, health care, sanitation, as well as safe living and working conditions. Once this occurs, people face barriers to the education, employment, and public services that can help them escape poverty.

Dr. Amartya Sen pointed out in his keynote address at the World Bank's conference on disability, the poverty line for disabled people should consider the extra expenses they incur in exercising what purchasing power they do have. A study in the United Kingdom found that the poverty rate for disabled people was 23.1 percent compared to 17.9 percent for non-disabled people, but when extra expenses associated with being disabled were considered, the poverty rate for people with disabilities shot up to 47.4 percent.

Disability rates in the population are higher among groups with lower educational level in the countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). On average, 19 percent of less educated people have disabilities, compared to 11 percent among the better educated.

Ninety percent of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school, says UNESCO. In the OECD countries, students with disabilities in higher education remain under-represented, although their numbers are on the increase, says the OECD.

1991 Brazilian census reported only a 1 percent to 2 percent disability rate, but the 2001 census recorded a 14.5 percent disability rate. Similar jumps in the measured rate of disability have occurred in Turkey (12.3 percent) and Nicaragua (10.1 percent).

Persons with disabilities are more likely to be victims of violence or rape, according to a 2004 British study, and less likely to obtain police intervention, legal protection or preventive care. Women and girls with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to abuse. A survey in Orissa, India, found that virtually all the women and girls with disabilities were beaten at home, 25 percent of women with intellectual disabilities had been raped and 6 percent of women with disabilities had been forcibly sterilized. Research indicates that violence against children with disabilities occurs at annual rates at least 1.7 times greater than for their peers without disabilities.

Disability Statistics and Charts

2026 U.S. Disability Statistics: Adults and Children: Latest U.S. disability statistics for adults and children, including prevalence by type, age, race, and key federal data from the CDC and Census Bureau.