Household Disability Survey 2023 - findings, definitions, and design summary provides findings from the 2023 Household Disability Survey (HDS) on the prevalence of disability (how many people are disabled) among people living in New Zealand households.
The HDS also collected data on social and economic outcomes for disabled people, the level and type of support they need, and barriers to participation in important aspects of life such as work, education, and recreation.
This report focuses on disability prevalence, given that only the HDS can provide official statistics on prevalence, and is the first update since the 2013 HDS. Disability prevalence data is crucial for planning and providing effective disability support services and for a broad range of other public services.
Disability statistics: 2023 and Disabled people need more care and support report findings from other parts of the 2023 HDS.
Key findings
- In 2023, 17 percent of people living in New Zealand households were disabled. This equated to 851,000 people, of whom 98,000 were children and 753,000 were adults.
- Females were more likely to be disabled than males, at 18 percent and 15 percent respectively.
- The disability rate for children was 10 percent and for adults, 18 percent. The survey collected data from adults (aged 15 years or over) and children (under 15 years) living in households and had no upper or lower age limits.
- Disability rates increased with age. The rate for adults aged 15 to 44 years (12 percent) was not much higher than the child rate (10 percent). The rate was 17 percent for adults aged 45 to 64, and 35 percent for adults aged 65 and over.
- Disability rates differed by ethnic group. Māori had a disability rate of 21 percent, Pacific people 16 percent, and Asian people 9 percent.
- Adjusting for age differences increased disability rates in these three ethnic groups as they have younger population profiles than the total population. With age-adjustment, the Māori disability rate moved to 24 percent, the Pacific people rate to 21 percent, and the Asian rate to 13 percent.
- The disability rate for the LGBTIQ+ population was 29 percent, significantly higher than the non-LGBTIQ+ rate of 17 percent. After age-adjustment, the LGBTIQ+ rate was 31 percent.
- Regions with disability rates significantly higher than the national rate were Northland (23 percent), Manawatū-Whanganui (21 percent), and Taranaki (21 percent).
- Auckland (14 percent) had a disability rate significantly lower than the national rate.
- Disability status was based on functional difficulty. People were counted as disabled if they - or for children, their caregiver - reported having difficulty in at least one of the aspects of universal human functioning (domains) that were measured in the survey and their level of difficulty met the threshold for that domain.
- For adults, difficulties with physical functioning were the most common. For children, difficulties with mental health and with accepting change to their routine were the most common.
ISBN 978-1-991307-44-6
