U.S. Disability Statistics by Type and Age
Author: Disabled World - Contact Details
Published: 2017/06/02 - Updated: 2017/06/03
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Synopsis: Tables and charts showing number of U.S. population with a disability, statistics ordered by ages and general classification, or type, of disability. Americans with disabilities are one of the largest minority groups in the United States. The tables below show the amount of the U.S. population with a disability with the statistics listed by age and general classification of disability including; hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, and independent living difficulties.
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Main Digest
Americans with disabilities are one of the largest minority groups in the United States. The tables below show the amount of the U.S. population with a disability with the statistics listed by age and general classification of disability including; hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, and independent living difficulties.
The US Social Security Administration (SSA), defines disability in terms of an individual's inability to perform substantial gainful activity (SGA), by which it means "work paying minimum wage or better". The agency pairs SGA with a list of medical conditions that qualify individuals for disability benefits.
Quick Facts
- The American Community Survey (ACS) estimates the overall rate of people with disabilities in the US population in 2015 was 12.6%.
- The percent of people with disabilities varies greatly by state, as do levels of people with disabilities in employment, poverty, earnings, and health behaviors.
- More than one in five (21.2%) US civilians with disabilities of working-age in 2015 were living in poverty. For US civilians of working-age without disabilities, the national poverty rate was 13.8%.
- All disability types (hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, and independent living) have increases in disability percentages with age; cognitive disabilities show the least change between age groups.

Jump To:
- Disability by Age
- Hearing Difficulty by Age
- Vision Difficulty by Age
- Cognitive Difficulty by Age
- Ambulatory Difficulty by Age
- Self-Care Difficulty by Age
- Independent Living Difficulty by Age
Number of Americans with Disability by Age | |
---|---|
Total: | 316,450,569 |
Male: | 154,565,265 |
Under 5 years: | 10,112,012 |
With a disability | 82,261 |
No disability | 10,029,751 |
5 to 17 years: | 27,413,259 |
With a disability | 1,814,985 |
No disability | 25,598,274 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,532,742 |
With a disability | 2,424,458 |
No disability | 34,108,284 |
35 to 64 years: | 59,898,152 |
With a disability | 7,784,294 |
No disability | 52,113,858 |
65 to 74 years: | 12,735,457 |
With a disability | 3,421,784 |
No disability | 9,313,673 |
75 years and over: | 7,873,643 |
With a disability | 3,780,554 |
No disability | 4,093,089 |
Female: | 161,885,304 |
Under 5 years: | 9,680,082 |
With a disability | 66,348 |
No disability | 9,613,734 |
5 to 17 years: | 26,286,578 |
With a disability | 1,070,194 |
No disability | 25,216,384 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,808,957 |
With a disability | 2,008,907 |
No disability | 34,800,050 |
35 to 64 years: | 63,281,765 |
With a disability | 8,193,887 |
No disability | 55,087,878 |
65 to 74 years: | 14,553,816 |
With a disability | 3,496,061 |
No disability | 11,057,755 |
75 years and over: | 11,274,106 |
With a disability | 5,762,595 |
No disability | 5,511,511 |
Number of Americans with Hearing Difficulty by Age | |
Total: | 316,450,569 |
Male: | 154,565,265 |
Under 5 years: | 10,112,012 |
With a hearing difficulty | 61,049 |
No hearing difficulty | 10,050,963 |
5 to 17 years: | 27,413,259 |
With a hearing difficulty | 181,074 |
No hearing difficulty | 27,232,185 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,532,742 |
With a hearing difficulty | 367,678 |
No hearing difficulty | 36,165,064 |
35 to 64 years: | 59,898,152 |
With a hearing difficulty | 2,080,452 |
No hearing difficulty | 57,817,700 |
65 to 74 years: | 12,735,457 |
With a hearing difficulty | 1,708,217 |
No hearing difficulty | 11,027,240 |
75 years and over: | 7,873,643 |
With a hearing difficulty | 2,171,638 |
No hearing difficulty | 5,702,005 |
Female: | 161,885,304 |
Under 5 years: | 9,680,082 |
With a hearing difficulty | 45,164 |
No hearing difficulty | 9,634,918 |
5 to 17 years: | 26,286,578 |
With a hearing difficulty | 148,587 |
No hearing difficulty | 26,137,991 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,808,957 |
With a hearing difficulty | 261,601 |
No hearing difficulty | 36,547,356 |
35 to 64 years: | 63,281,765 |
With a hearing difficulty | 1,259,960 |
No hearing difficulty | 62,021,805 |
65 to 74 years: | 14,553,816 |
With a hearing difficulty | 824,006 |
No hearing difficulty | 13,729,810 |
75 years and over: | 11,274,106 |
With a hearing difficulty | 2,158,027 |
No hearing difficulty | 9,116,079 |
Number of Americans with Vision Difficulty by Age | |
Total: | 316,450,569 |
Male: | 154,565,265 |
Under 5 years: | 10,112,012 |
With a vision difficulty | 43,530 |
No vision difficulty | 10,068,482 |
5 to 17 years: | 27,413,259 |
With a vision difficulty | 235,919 |
No vision difficulty | 27,177,340 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,532,742 |
With a vision difficulty | 398,535 |
No vision difficulty | 36,134,207 |
35 to 64 years: | 59,898,152 |
With a vision difficulty | 1,425,534 |
No vision difficulty | 58,472,618 |
65 to 74 years: | 12,735,457 |
With a vision difficulty | 543,736 |
No vision difficulty | 12,191,721 |
75 years and over: | 7,873,643 |
With a vision difficulty | 692,022 |
No vision difficulty | 7,181,621 |
Female: | 161,885,304 |
Under 5 years: | 9,680,082 |
With a vision difficulty | 40,704 |
No vision difficulty | 9,639,378 |
5 to 17 years: | 26,286,578 |
With a vision difficulty | 219,543 |
No vision difficulty | 26,067,035 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,808,957 |
With a vision difficulty | 407,288 |
No vision difficulty | 36,401,669 |
35 to 64 years: | 63,281,765 |
With a vision difficulty | 1,557,429 |
No vision difficulty | 61,724,336 |
65 to 74 years: | 14,553,816 |
With a vision difficulty | 605,616 |
No vision difficulty | 13,948,200 |
75 years and over: | 11,274,106 |
With a vision difficulty | 1,163,949 |
No vision difficulty | 10,110,157 |
Number of Americans with Cognitive Difficulty by Age | |
Total: | 296,658,475 |
Male: | 144,453,253 |
5 to 17 years: | 27,413,259 |
With a cognitive difficulty | 1,465,480 |
No cognitive difficulty | 25,947,779 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,532,742 |
With a cognitive difficulty | 1,585,041 |
No cognitive difficulty | 34,947,701 |
35 to 64 years: | 59,898,152 |
With a cognitive difficulty | 2,910,026 |
No cognitive difficulty | 56,988,126 |
65 to 74 years: | 12,735,457 |
With a cognitive difficulty | 714,064 |
No cognitive difficulty | 12,021,393 |
75 years and over: | 7,873,643 |
With a cognitive difficulty | 973,187 |
No cognitive difficulty | 6,900,456 |
Female: | 152,205,222 |
5 to 17 years: | 26,286,578 |
With a cognitive difficulty | 733,662 |
No cognitive difficulty | 25,552,916 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,808,957 |
With a cognitive difficulty | 1,186,759 |
No cognitive difficulty | 35,622,198 |
35 to 64 years: | 63,281,765 |
With a cognitive difficulty | 3,069,109 |
No cognitive difficulty | 60,212,656 |
65 to 74 years: | 14,553,816 |
With a cognitive difficulty | 734,109 |
No cognitive difficulty | 13,819,707 |
75 years and over: | 11,274,106 |
With a cognitive difficulty | 1,743,684 |
No cognitive difficulty | 9,530,422 |
Number of Americans with Ambulatory Difficulty by Age | |
Total: | 296,658,475 |
Male: | 144,453,253 |
5 to 17 years: | 27,413,259 |
With an ambulatory difficulty | 183,004 |
No ambulatory difficulty | 27,230,255 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,532,742 |
With an ambulatory difficulty | 501,717 |
No ambulatory difficulty | 36,031,025 |
35 to 64 years: | 59,898,152 |
With an ambulatory difficulty | 4,039,167 |
No ambulatory difficulty | 55,858,985 |
65 to 74 years: | 12,735,457 |
With an ambulatory difficulty | 1,771,638 |
No ambulatory difficulty | 10,963,819 |
75 years and over: | 7,873,643 |
With an ambulatory difficulty | 2,152,104 |
No ambulatory difficulty | 5,721,539 |
Female: | 152,205,222 |
5 to 17 years: | 26,286,578 |
With an ambulatory difficulty | 153,282 |
No ambulatory difficulty | 26,133,296 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,808,957 |
With an ambulatory difficulty | 508,484 |
No ambulatory difficulty | 36,300,473 |
35 to 64 years: | 63,281,765 |
With an ambulatory difficulty | 5,042,899 |
No ambulatory difficulty | 58,238,866 |
65 to 74 years: | 14,553,816 |
With an ambulatory difficulty | 2,463,997 |
No ambulatory difficulty | 12,089,819 |
75 years and over: | 11,274,106 |
With an ambulatory difficulty | 4,103,624 |
No ambulatory difficulty | 7,170,482 |
Number of Americans with Self-Care Difficulty by Age | |
Total: | 296,658,475 |
Male: | 144,453,253 |
5 to 17 years: | 27,413,259 |
With a self-care difficulty | 313,917 |
No self-care difficulty | 27,099,342 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,532,742 |
With a self-care difficulty | 338,753 |
No self-care difficulty | 36,193,989 |
35 to 64 years: | 59,898,152 |
With a self-care difficulty | 1,423,794 |
No self-care difficulty | 58,474,358 |
65 to 74 years: | 12,735,457 |
With a self-care difficulty | 534,348 |
No self-care difficulty | 12,201,109 |
75 years and over: | 7,873,643 |
With a self-care difficulty | 853,711 |
No self-care difficulty | 7,019,932 |
Female: | 152,205,222 |
5 to 17 years: | 26,286,578 |
With a self-care difficulty | 190,848 |
No self-care difficulty | 26,095,730 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,808,957 |
With a self-care difficulty | 273,330 |
No self-care difficulty | 36,535,627 |
35 to 64 years: | 63,281,765 |
With a self-care difficulty | 1,614,606 |
No self-care difficulty | 61,667,159 |
65 to 74 years: | 14,553,816 |
With a self-care difficulty | 673,035 |
No self-care difficulty | 13,880,781 |
75 years and over: | 11,274,106 |
With a self-care difficulty | 1,757,229 |
No self-care difficulty | 9,516,877 |
Number of Americans with Independent Living Difficulty by Age | |
Total: | 242,958,638 |
Male: | 117,039,994 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,532,742 |
With an independent living difficulty | 939,363 |
No independent living difficulty | 35,593,379 |
35 to 64 years: | 59,898,152 |
With an independent living difficulty | 2,489,425 |
No independent living difficulty | 57,408,727 |
65 to 74 years: | 12,735,457 |
With an independent living difficulty | 832,335 |
No independent living difficulty | 11,903,122 |
75 years and over: | 7,873,643 |
With an independent living difficulty | 1,489,095 |
No independent living difficulty | 6,384,548 |
Female: | 125,918,644 |
18 to 34 years: | 36,808,957 |
With an independent living difficulty | 756,695 |
No independent living difficulty | 36,052,262 |
35 to 64 years: | 63,281,765 |
With an independent living difficulty | 3,088,810 |
No independent living difficulty | 60,192,955 |
65 to 74 years: | 14,553,816 |
With an independent living difficulty | 1,254,001 |
No independent living difficulty | 13,299,815 |
75 years and over: | 11,274,106 |
With an independent living difficulty | 3,335,018 |
No independent living difficulty | 7,939,088 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Civilian noninstitutionalized population. 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
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