The State of Disability in the UK: Stats, Gaps, and Life Experiences

Send us a topic important to you.25% of the total population—16.8 million people—had a disability in the 2023/24 financial year. We discuss how prevalence is rising, especially driven by increases in mental health conditions reported among children and working-age adults. We analyze significant disparities in outcomes, including the 28.6 percentage point disability employment gap (July to September 2025), lower median household incomes, and higher rates of crime victimization. The episode also highlights the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on disabled people, including a disproportionate mortality risk. (99 words)Key TakeawaysThe number of disabled people in the UK has increased significantly, reaching 16.8 million (25% of the population) in 2023/24, up from 18% in 2002/03.Disability prevalence rises sharply with age; 45% of adults over State Pension age reported a disability in 2023/24, compared with 12% of children.For working-age adults (16-64), mental health conditions are the most common impairment reported (48% of disabled people in this group).Disabled people face significant employment challenges, evidenced by an employment rate of 52.3% compared with 82.5% for non-disabled people.Households with a disabled family member have significantly lower median weekly incomes (£506 after housing costs) than households with no disabled members (£628).During the COVID-19 pandemic, disabled people faced a higher risk of death and reported worsening mental health and increased loneliness compared to non-disabled people.DefinitionsDisability (Harmonized Definition): A person is considered disabled if they have a physical or mental condition or illness that has lasted, or is expected to last, 12 months or more, AND it reduces their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.Disability Employment Gap: The percentage point difference between the employment rate of disabled people and the employment rate of people who are not disabled (28.6 percentage points in 2025).Source: UK disability statistics: Prevalence and life experiencesResearch BriefingPublished Monday, 17 November, 2025Follow and subscribe to 'The Bench Report' on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes daily: thebenchreport.co.ukSubscribe to our Substack Shape our next episode! Get in touch with an issue important to you - Producer Tom will grab another coffee and start the research!Email us: [email protected] us on YouTube,  X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok! @benchreportUKSupport us for bonus and extended episodes + more.No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.  Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0....