Share of the UK population
25%
UK2024–25
Around 25 in every 100 people were classed as disabled.
This is the same estimate as the 16.7 million figure shown next.
Source: DWP Family Resources Survey 2024–25How to use this page
Start with the four headline cards, then open a topic for more detail. Percentages always keep their original population, area and time period beside them.
PIP is a benefit measure, not a count of all disabled people. Survey estimates and administrative benefit counts answer different questions and should not be compared as if they measure the same population.
What does “disabled” mean in these figures?
The Family Resources Survey uses a definition consistent with the core Equality Act 2010 definition. Other sources can use slightly different definitions, so each figure keeps its source and coverage.
The UK at a glance
Key figures, with the source, date and area shown.
Number of disabled people
16.7 million people
UK2024–25
About 16.7 million people were classed as disabled — around 1 in 4 people.
The estimate was 12.9 million in 2014–15.
Source: DWP Family Resources Survey 2024–25Disability employment gap
29.7 percentage points
UKAge 16–64Apr–Jun 2025
52.8% of disabled people were employed, compared with 82.5% of non-disabled people.
What are percentage points?
They show the direct difference between two percentages. Here, 82.5% minus 52.8% equals 29.7 percentage points.
People entitled to PIP
4.1 million people
England & Wales31 Jul 2026
People entitled to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Important: PIP is a benefit. This is not the total number of disabled people.
Source: DWP PIP statistics to July 2026Explore the data
Choose a topic to see the figures in more detail.
Share of people who are disabled by age
The share of people classed as disabled is higher in older age groups. It has also risen among children and working-age adults over the last decade.
Long-term change: the share of working-age adults classed as disabled rose from 17% in 2014–15 to 23% in 2024–25.
UK nations and English regions
Countries and English regions are shown separately so unlike geographic levels are not mixed in one ranking.
Latest 2024–25 country picture: Scotland 30%, Wales 26%, Northern Ireland 22%; England was below the UK average of 25%. London was the lowest English region at 17%.
Comparable nation snapshot · 2023–24
English regions · 2023–24
Latest narrative: DWP FRS 2024–25 ↗. Comparable full regional snapshot: DWP FRS 2023–24 table 4.4.
Employment rates
The employment rate is lower for disabled people than for non-disabled people.
Disabled employment rate
52.8%
Non-disabled employment rate
82.5%
In everyday terms: about 53 in every 100 disabled working-age people were employed, compared with about 83 in every 100 non-disabled people. Around 5.5 million disabled people aged 16–64 were in employment.
How the employment gap varies
The size of the employment gap differs by age group and housing situation.
Underemployment rate · disabled workers
10.0%
Underemployment rate · non-disabled workers
7.7%
Underemployment means a worker wants and is available to work more hours, using the survey definition.
Source: DWP / Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey ↗
PIP in England and Wales
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) helps with some extra costs caused by long-term disability or ill-health.
Important: this is a benefit figure, not the total number of disabled people.
4.1mtotal
People entitled to PIP
4.1 million
31 July 2026Working-age people
3.4 million
83% of the total690,000 people were of State Pension age; 37% received the highest level of award.
Benefits and disability
Not every disabled person receives a sickness or disability-related benefit.
100%of group
Figures add to 99.9% because of rounding.
Receiving sickness or disability-related benefit37.9%2023–24 linked data
Receiving another type of benefit19.8%2023–24
Not receiving a benefit42.2%2023–24
Everyday life
Selected figures on food security, work, health conditions and housing.
6% of households with a disabled adult used a food bank, compared with 2% of households with no disabled adults.
UK · financial year ending 202452.8% of disabled working-age people were employed, compared with 82.5% of non-disabled people.
UK · age 16–64 · Apr–Jun 2025About 31 in every 100 disabled people reporting five or more health conditions were employed.
UK · 2024–25For people living in social housing, the employment-rate gap between disabled and non-disabled people was 42.5 percentage points.
UK · 2024–25Commonly reported impairment types
The percentage means the percentage of disabled people in that age group reporting that impairment type.
People can report more than one impairment type. These percentages are not parts of a whole and can add to more than 100%.
Disabled children
Percentage of disabled children in this age group.
Working-age disabled adults
Percentage of disabled working-age adults in this age group.
Disabled pensioners
Percentage of disabled State Pension age adults in this age group.
All impairment categories measured by FRS
The official dataset also records categories that may not appear in the top three for an age group.
DexterityHearingLearningMemoryMental healthMobilitySocial or behaviouralStamina, breathing or fatigueVisionOther area of life
Use the official table 4.6 for the complete age-by-category values. This page does not invent values that are not explicitly transcribed from the source.
Impairment-type source: DWP Family Resources Survey 2024–25 ↗. Food-bank source: UK Food Security Digest 2025 ↗.
Change over time
Long-term movement is more useful than a single year, but survey and definition changes must be considered.
All people classed as disabled20% → 25%2014–15 to 2024–25 · 12.9m → 16.7m
Children7% → 12%2014–15 to 2024–25
Working-age adults17% → 23%2014–15 to 2024–25
What this shows
Reported disability prevalence has increased over the decade for the total population, children and working-age adults.
What this cannot tell usThese changes do not by themselves explain why prevalence changed. Survey methods, population age, awareness, diagnosis and social conditions may all matter.
Data freshness & uncertainty
Checked recently does not mean every statistic describes the same period.
Survey figures are estimates. Small differences may not be statistically meaningful. Where confidence intervals or standard errors are available, use the source methodology before drawing conclusions.
The FRS does not survey people living in nursing or retirement homes, so estimates for older people may understate disability and impairment prevalence across the whole population.
Focused topic guides
Open a simpler page when you want one question rather than the whole dashboard.
Disability & employment
Employment rates, the employment gap and why percentage points matter.
Open employment guide →Impairment types
How the FRS groups impairment types and why totals can exceed 100%.
Open impairment guide →Country & region comparisons
UK nations first, then English regions as a separate comparison.
Open geography guide →Sources
Check the official publications and datasets behind the figures.
Family Resources Survey 2024–25
How common disability is in the UK, with breakdowns by age, gender, area and impairment type.
Open release ↗DWP · published 26 March 2026Employment of disabled people 2025
Employment rates and gaps, with breakdowns by age, housing and health conditions, plus figures on workers who want more hours.
Open report ↗DWP · updated 24 March 2026ONS A08: disabled people and work
Quarterly figures showing whether disabled people are in work, unemployed or economically inactive.
Open dataset ↗ONS · latest release 18 August 2026PIP official statistics
People with entitlement to PIP, new claims, decisions and awards in England and Wales.
Open latest release ↗DWP · published 15 September 2026UK Food Security Digest 2025
Food-bank use by disability and other household characteristics.
Open statistics ↗DEFRA / DWP sourcesdata.gov.uk
Search reusable UK public datasets, including employment and disability-related data.
Explore data.gov.uk ↗UK public-sector open dataHow to read the data
Use “What this shows” and “What this cannot tell us” below charts. Association does not prove that disability caused an observed difference.
Different sources do not always measure disability in exactly the same way. The Family Resources Survey follows the core Equality Act 2010 definition: a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term negative effect on normal daily activities. Labour-market publications use survey classifications aligned with the Equality Act definition.
Each figure keeps its original area and time period. For example, the PIP figure covers England and Wales, while the Family Resources Survey headline figure covers the whole UK.
Editorial transparency
Access to Data is an independent project that explains official UK statistics in accessible language. It is not an official government publication.