This report provides findings from the 2023 Household Disability Survey (HDS) on the prevalence of disability (how many people are disabled) among people living in New Zealand households.

The HDS also collected data on social and economic outcomes for disabled people, the level and type of support they need, and barriers to participation in important aspects of life such as work, education, and recreation.

This report focuses on disability prevalence, given that only the HDS can provide official statistics on prevalence, and is the first update since the 2013 HDS.

Data on autism and ADHD prevalence is found in Table 14 of the disability estimates.

Estimates from the 2023 HDS can’t be compared with estimates from previous disability surveys run by Stats NZ due to changes in the way disabled people were identified. The 2023 HDS used questions based on those developed by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics (WG). The WG’s work is supported by the United Nations Statistical Commission to improve statistics about disabled people. (From the website). Record #9145