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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Perceptions of sport
60% of disabled people and 65% of non-disabled people agreed ‘physical activity and exercise are 'for disabled people'’.
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Loneliness
Over half (55%) of people with complex disabilities feel lonely compared to a quarter (26%) of the general public.
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Transport
72% of people with complex disabilities use some form of public transport day-to-day with over half (52%) of people with complex disabilities relying on public transport to see friends and family.
The biggest barriers affecting people with complex disabilities on public transport were overcrowding (43%), unreliable services (30%) and cost (29%). Over half (52%) found public transport difficult because of the attitudes of other passengers towards disabled people.
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Largest impairment groups
The largest impairment groups in the UK were people with a mobility impairment (48%). 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
Disabled people with five or more impairments are more likely to be inactive (50% vs 24% of those with one impairment).
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Social barriers
In 2015, more than half (53%) thought that as a disabled person there are more barriers to making and keeping friends. This rose to more than three quarters (77%) for young disabled people aged 18-34.
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Disabled people and hate crime
13,777 disability hate crimes were reported to police In the year ending March 2023. This is a 1% decrease from the previous year.
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Disabled people's experiences
In 2018, one in three (32%) 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%) of disabled people would prefer to take part in sport with both disabled and non-disabled people. In 2012, just half (51%) were doing so.
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Non-disabled people and inclusive activities
In 2016, just 14% of non-disabled people were aware of having previously taken part in sport with disabled people. However, almost three quarters (73%) 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 (81.4% vs 95.7%). 14.9% of disabled adults had still never used the internet compared with 3.4% of non-disabled adults.
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Disabled people and digital skills
Disabled people are 35% less likely to have essential digital skills than non-disabled people.
