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.
Search our research pages to read our latest reports.
Found 37 facts and statistics.
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Fairness in sport and physical activity
Only four in 10 disabled people (44 per cent) agree that sport and physical activity is fair for disabled people.
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Perceptions of sport
57 per cent of disabled people agreed ‘physical activity and exercise is for ‘someone like me’ 35 per cent agreed ‘sport is for someone like me’
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COVID-19 and impact on disabled people's ability to be active
Only 28% of disabled people were feeling encouraged to return to activity after the pandemic, compared to 50% of non-disabled people. For those who return, only half (53%) said it was a positive experience.
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COVID-19 and the impact on disabled people's lives
72 per cent of disabled people were worried about the effect the pandemic was having on their lives.
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COVID-19 and impact on inactivity for disabled people
The pandemic has led to a 2.6 per cent increase in inactivity levels for disabled people (from 40.4 per cent in May 2019-20 to 42.4 per cent in November 2020-21).
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Largest impairment groups
The largest impairment groups in the UK were people with a mobility impairment (48 per cent). Mental health impairments are increasing over time, with 15% in 2012 to 2013, to 34% in 2022 to 2023. This is a rise from 1.9 million people to 5.4 million people.
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Multiple impairments
Almost three quarters (74 per cent) of disabled people have more than one impairment.
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Impairments and activity levels
Inactivity increases with the number of impairments an individual has. 50 per cent of people with three or more impairments are physically inactive compared to 33 per cent of people with one impairment.
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Social barriers
In 2015, more than half (53 per cent) thought that as a disabled person there are more barriers to making and keeping friends. This rose to more than three quarters (77 per cent) for young disabled people aged 18-34.
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Disabled people and hate crime
In 2019-20, there were 8,469 disability hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales. An increase of 9 per cent compared with 2018-19.
- Source:
- Home Office, Hate crime England and Wales 2019-20
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Disabled people's experiences
In 2018, one in three (32 per cent) disabled people said that there is a lot of prejudice against disabled people in Britain.
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Inclusive sport and activity
Two thirds (64 per cent) of disabled people would prefer to take part in sport with both disabled and non-disabled people. In 2012, just half (51 per cent) were doing so.
