Disability Statistics: Information, Charts, Graphs and Tables

Category Topic: Disability Statistics
Author: Disabled World
Updated/Revised Date: 2024/09/12
Contents: Summary - Introduction - Main - Subtopics - Publications

Synopsis: World health and disability statistics including data and facts on age, area, types, and population numbers of people with disabilities. Currently, around 10% of the world's population, or roughly 650 million people, live with a disability. Eighty percent of persons with disabilities live in developing countries, according to the UN Development Program (UNDP). 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.

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.

Main Document

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:

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

U.S. Disability Statistics by State, County, City, and Age

Average Life Span Expectancy Chart by World Countries

Health and Disability Factsheets (PDF)

World Population Chart - Countries and Continents

Fundamental Rights Of Persons With Disability Statistics and Charts

Subtopics

Latest Publications From Our Disability Statistics Category

1: - Survey reveals individuals with pre-existing disabilities had long COVID and much higher rates than peers.

2: - The study found reasons for people with learning disabilities and autism choosing euthanasia and assisted suicide included feelings of loneliness and a struggle to form friendships.

3: - U.S. federal studies coauthored by autism experts find more children have been diagnosed with autism than at any time since monitoring began over two decades ago.

4: - Statistics reveal the prevalence of disabilities among American adults aged 65 and older is much lower than it was for the same age group a decade earlier.

5: - BraunAbility survey reveals people who use wheelchairs found least accommodated among marginalized groups with only 23% of mobility disability community believing people with mobility challenges are fairly accommodated.

Complete List of Related Information


Page Information, Citing and Disclaimer

Disabled World is a comprehensive online resource that provides information and news related to disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility issues. Founded in 2004 our website covers a wide range of topics, including disability rights, healthcare, education, employment, and independent living, with the goal of supporting the disability community and their families.

Cite This Page (APA): Disabled World. (Rev. 2024, September 12). Disability Statistics: Information, Charts, Graphs and Tables. Disabled World. Retrieved October 7, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/statistics/

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