Key facts about disability in New Zealand

1 in 4

New Zealanders have a physical, sensory, learning, mental health or other disability

35%

of disabled people are over 65 years old – that’s 370,000 people

Fact

Disabled people are more likely to have lower incomes than non-disabled people

45%

of disabled adults are employed compared to 72% of non-disabled adults

26%

of the Māori population were identified as disabled, compared to 24% of the total New Zealand population

Fact

Disabled children are less likely to do social things, such as playing in a sports team

34%

of disabled women have no educational qualification, compared with 15% of non-disabled women

Fact

For children, a learning difficulty is the most common type of impairment

You can find more facts and figures from Statistics New Zealand's 2013 Disability Survey.