Facts and statistics
Below are some useful statistics on disabled people. They can help you to understand a large proportion of our society, including demographics and impairment types.
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Found 39 facts and statistics.
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Disabled people in the UK
There are 16.1 million disabled people in the UK, accounting for nearly one in four (24 per cent) of the total population. This is an increase of 3.9 million more disabled people than ten years ago.
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Outdoor spaces
Less than half (44 per cent) of disabled people say it’s easy for them to physically access outdoor spaces (vs 78 per cent of non-disabled people). Around a third of disabled people report having difficulty physically accessing outdoor spaces like parks, countryside, or woodland (32 per cent).
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Region
Disability is most prevalent in the North East of England. 31 per cent of people in the North East are disabled, seven percentage points above the UK average. London has the lowest prevalence at 15 per cent.
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Gender
There are more disabled women than men. 26 per cent of women (8.8 million) in the UK are disabled, compared to 22 per cent of men (7.2 million).
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Age
The prevalence of disability rises with age. In the UK, 11 per cent of children are disabled compared with 23 per cent of working age adults and 45 per cent of people over state pension age.
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Physical Activity Guidelines
For substantial health gains, disabled adults should aim for at least 150 minutes each week of moderate intensity activity and do strength and balance activities on at least two days per week
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Disabled people's activity levels
Disabled adults are almost twice as likely as non-disabled people to be physically inactive (40.8 per cent vs 20.7 per cent).
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Disabled people's participation
Three-quarters (76 per cent) of disabled people would like to be more active.
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Disabled people and organised activity
Just one in five (20 per cent) disabled people had taken part in an organised activity session in the last year, compared to 25 per cent of non-disabled people.
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Role of health and sports professionals
Healthcare professionals are the preferred source of advice on sport and physical activity for disabled people. This includes physios, occupational therapists, and other medical professionals (50 per cent disabled people vs 31 per cent of non-disabled people); specialist doctors, consultants, or medical practitioners (49 per cent of disabled people vs 28 per cent of non-disabled people); and GPs or nurses (48 per cent disabled people vs 32 per cent of non-disabled people).
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Motivations to be active
Two-thirds (66 per cent) of disabled people are motivated to be active to improve or maintain their physical health. Mental health and wellbeing, feeling good about themselves, and fun and enjoyment are important when thinking about being active.
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Barriers to being active
79 per cent of disabled people say their impairment or health condition stops them from being as active as they would like.
