One in five New Zealanders experiences disability.⁸ The New Zealand Disability Survey found that 743,800 New Zealanders had some level of disability in 2001. This included an estimated 107,200 Māori and 28,100 Pacific people with a disability.

The vast majority (96 percent) of adults with disabilities live in households. The remaining 4 percent (27,300) live in residential facilities. Provisional data suggests an estimated 88,100 New Zealanders living in households have a severe disability requiring daily assistance. A further 317,000 New Zealanders living in households have a moderate disability, requiring some type of assistive equipment and/or regular help with certain household tasks.⁹

Disability increases with age. The prevalence of disability ranges from 11 percent of children (0-14 years), to 54 percent of people aged 65 years and over.

Table P4   Number and prevalence rate of people with disabilities (total population residing in households and residential facilities), by age group and sex, New Zealand, 2001

Age group (years)	Male		Female		Total
	Number	Rate (%)	Number	Rate (%)	Number	Rate (%)
0-14	54,200	13	35,700	9	90,000	11
15-44	88,600	12	114,000	14	202,600	13
45-64	115,800	27	94,800	23	210,600	25
65+	100,300	51	140,300	23	240,600	54
Total	358,900	20	384,900	20	743,800	20

Source: Statistics New Zealand (2001) Tables 1.01a, 1.02a

Many disabled New Zealanders face barriers to full participation in society. The 2001 New Zealand Disability Survey found that 39 percent of disabled adults in households had no educational qualification, compared to 24 percent of non-disabled adults. Fifty-seven percent of 15-64 year-olds with a disability were employed, compared with 71 percent of non-disabled 15-64 year-olds. More than half (56 percent) of adults with disabilities had a gross personal income of less than $15,000 – compared to 40 percent of non-disabled adults.¹⁰

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