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 37 facts and statistics.
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Non-disabled people and inclusive activities
In 2016, just 14 per cent of non-disabled people were aware of having previously taken part in sport with disabled people. However, almost three quarters (73 per cent) of non-disabled people said they were open to taking part in sport with disabled people.
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Disabled people and the internet
Disabled people in England are less likely than non-disabled people to have accessed the internet in 2019 (78 per cent vs 95 per cent). 18 per cent of disabled adults had still never used the internet compared with 4 per cent of non-disabled adults.
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Disabled people and digital skills
Disabled people are 35 per cent less likely to have essential digital skills than non-disabled people.
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Walking and cycling for travel
Disabled people are less likely to walk for travel (35 per cent compared to 47 per cent of non-disabled people) and cycle for travel (7 per cent compared to 13 per cent of non-disabled people).
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Employment
Between January and March 2019, more than 3.9 million disabled people were in work, but disabled people were more than twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people. 8 per cent of disabled people were unemployed compared to 3 per cent of non-disabled people.
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Employment and activity levels
Disabled people who are unemployed are much more likely to be inactive than disabled people who are employed (40 per cent vs 30 per cent).
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Education and activity levels
Disabled people with no qualifications are twice as likely to be physically inactive as disabled people who have a higher education qualification (64 per cent vs 32 per cent).
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Population of disabled children and young people
There are one million disabled children in England: this is 8 per cent of all children.
- Source:
- Department for Work and Pensions, Family Resources Survey 2019-20
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Living standards
A disabled working-age adult is more than twice as likely to be in poverty than a non-disabled adult.
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Socioeconomic status and activity
Disabled people from lower socioeconomic groups are much more likely to be inactive than disabled people from higher socioeconomic groups (45 per cent vs 30 per cent).
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Disability benefits and being active
Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of disabled people we spoke to said they rely on benefits to be active. Almost half (47 per cent) are fearful of losing their benefits if they are seen to be more active. More than half (55 per cent) said they were likely to be more active if benefits weren't at risk of being taken away.
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Disabled children in school
15 per cent of school pupils in England have special educational needs (SEN). But fewer than one in 10 (9 per cent) of pupils with SEN in England attend a state-funded special school.
