Mnemonic: disability
Applicability: Person
Type: Standard variable
Definition
People who assessed their day-to-day activities as limited by long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses are considered disabled. This definition of a disabled person meets the harmonised standard for measuring disability and is in line with the Equality Act (2010).
Classification
Total number of categories: 5
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Disabled under the Equality Act: Day-to-day activities limited a lot |
| 2 | Disabled under the Equality Act: Day-to-day activities limited a little |
| 3 | Not disabled under the Equality Act: Has long-term physical or mental health condition but day-to-day activities are not limited |
| 4 | Not disabled under the Equality Act: No long-term physical or mental health conditions |
| -8 | Does not apply* |
*Students and schoolchildren living away during term-time.
View all disability classifications.
Question asked
Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last 12 months or more?
- Yes
- No
People who chose "Yes" to this question were then asked:
Do any of your conditions or illnesses reduce your ability to carry out day-to-day activities?
- Yes, a lot
- Yes, a little
- Not at all
In Census 2021, the question was split into two parts. In the 2011 Census, people were asked if they have a health problem or disability, but were not asked if they had any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last 12 months or more.
Background
Read about how we developed and tested the questions for Census 2021.
Why we ask the question
The answer helps communities by allowing local authorities to understand the health needs of the people in their area both now and in the future. For example, people with long-term medical conditions are likely to need more support from the NHS. By measuring long-term conditions, local authorities can see how people will use the NHS in the future. They can then make plans to set aside resources and provide the right services for communities.
This information also helps develop and monitor policies to make sure that everyone is treated fairly. These policies affect the way that public bodies provide healthcare and aim to reduce health inequalities. They also help work towards improving the general health of the people in their area and the rest of England and Wales.
The census first asked a question about disability in 1991.
Comparability with the 2011 Census
Broadly comparable
The question related to this variable was split into two parts for Census 2021. In Census 2021 we asked people completing the questionnaire if they have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses. In the 2011 Census, people were asked if they have a health problem or disability. We also removed the option to include information about problems related to old age.
What does broadly comparable mean?
A variable that is broadly comparable means that it can be generally compared with the same variable used in the 2011 Census. However, changes may have been made to the question or options that people could choose from or how write-in answers are classified.
England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland comparisons
Not comparable
The variable for England and Wales provides different information on a person's disability status, and cannot be compared to variables produced by Scotland and Northern Ireland.
What does not comparable mean?
A variable that is not comparable means that it cannot be compared for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Find out more about variables produced for Census 2021 in Northern Ireland and Census 2022 in Scotland.
Census 2021 data that uses this variable
We use variables from Census 2021 data to show findings in different ways.
You can:
- get the disability dataset
- view disability data on a map
- read about how an area has changed in 10 years
- view disability data for an area on Nomis (an Office for National Statistics service)
Alternatively, you can also create a custom dataset.
Other datasets that use this variable
- Disability, age-standardised proportions
- Highest level of qualification by disability
- Disability by car or van availability
- Disability by general health by age
- Disability by NS-SEC by age
- Disability by provision of unpaid care by sex
- Disability by religion by sex
- Disability by sex by age
- Veterans by disability
- Disability by ability to speak Welsh by age
- Gender identity by disability
- Sexual orientation by disability
- Economic activity status by hours worked by disability
- Disability (parishes)
- Migration by disability (country inflow)
- Migration by disability (country outflow)
- Migration by disability (lower tier local authority inflow)
- Migration by disability (lower tier local authority outflow)
- Migration by disability (Middle layer Super Output Area inflow)
- Migration by disability (Middle layer Super Output Area outflow)
- Migration by disability (national inflow)
- Migration by disability (region inflow)
- Migration by disability (region outflow)
- Migration by disability (upper tier local authority inflow)
- Migration by disability (upper tier local authority outflow)
- Cornish national identity by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Kashmiri ethnic group by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by age by sex by disability by provision of unpaid care
- Cornish national identity by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Kashmiri ethnic group by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Nepali (includes Gurkha) ethnic group by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Ravidassia religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Sikh religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Jain religion, ethnic group and both religion and ethnic group by sex by economic activity by hours worked by disability
- Origin and destination of migrants by disability by residence type
- Economic activity status by hours worked by sex by long-term health problem or disability