Young people with disabilities
In 2006, 6.5 percent of young people aged 15 to 24 had some level of disability.
This includes an estimated 19,500 males and 13,700 females. At ages 20 to 24 young men are almost twice as likely as young women to have a disability.
Levels of disability vary according to ethnic group. At 8.6 percent, Mäori aged 15 to 24 had more than three times the rate of disability of young Asians (2.6 percent).
| Males | Females | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | Number | Rate (%) | Number | Rate (%) | Number | Rate (%) |
| 15 to 19 | 10,000 | 6.5 | 8,400 | 6.1 | 18,400 | 6.3 |
| 20 to 24 | 9,500 | 9.1 | 5,300 | 4.6 | 14,800 | 6.8 |
| 15 to 24 | 19,500 | 7.6 | 13,700 | 5.4 | 33,200 | 6.5 |
Source Statistics New Zealand, Disability Survey. Figures relate to the population residing in households and residential facilities, rounded to the nearest 100.
Among young people aged 15 to 24, 42 percent reported that their disability existed at birth, 36.4 percent that their disability was the result of a disease or illness and 21.6 percent that their disability was due to an accident. Young men (29.4 percent) were much more likely than young women (10.6 percent) to report disability as a result on an accident.
Many New Zealand young people with disabilities face barriers to full participation in society. For example, the 2006 Disability Survey found that among New Zealand youth aged 15 to 24, those with disabilities are much less likely to be employed (39 percent) than those without disabilities (60 percent). This difference is particularly striking among young women aged 15 to 24. Just 27 percent of young women with disabilities are employed, compared to 61 percent of young women without disabilities.
