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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idIn 2021, 780,476 females (or 6.1% of the female population) in Australia reported needing help in their day-to-day lives due to disability. This was a percentage increase from 2016.
Australia's disability statistics relate directly to need for assistance due to a severe or profound disability. The information may be used in the planning of local facilities, services such as day-care and occasional care and in the provision of information and support to carers. Australia's disability statistics help in understanding the prevalence of people who need support in the community, and along with information on Unpaid Care to a person with a disability, how that support is provided.
Please note: A person's reported need for assistance is based on a subjective assessment and should therefore be treated with caution. See the specific data notes for further detail.
Q:
Derived from the Census questions:
'Does the person ever need someone to help with, or be with them for, self care activities?', 'Does the person ever need someone to help with, or be with them for, body movement activities?', 'Does the person ever need someone to help with, or be with them for, communication activities?', and 'What are the reasons for the need for assistance or supervision shown in questions 20, 21 and 22?' (as per above).
| Need for assistance with core activities by age | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia - Females (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Assistance needed by age group (years) | Number | % of total age group | Greater Capital Cities % | Number | % of total age group | Greater Capital Cities % | 2016 to 2021 |
| 0 to 4 | 7,402 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 5,965 | 0.8 | 0.8 | +1,437 |
| 5 to 9 | 21,858 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 15,123 | 2.1 | 2.0 | +6,735 |
| 10 to 19 | 43,370 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 28,543 | 2.1 | 1.9 | +14,827 |
| 20 to 59 | 186,542 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 167,162 | 2.6 | 2.4 | +19,380 |
| 60 to 64 | 50,080 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 43,337 | 6.5 | 6.6 | +6,743 |
| 65 to 69 | 55,537 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 45,312 | 7.5 | 7.8 | +10,225 |
| 70 to 74 | 68,641 | 11.4 | 12.3 | 47,770 | 10.5 | 11.3 | +20,871 |
| 75 to 79 | 76,918 | 17.9 | 19.3 | 59,798 | 17.3 | 18.9 | +17,120 |
| 80 to 84 | 92,789 | 30.7 | 32.9 | 74,989 | 29.2 | 31.5 | +17,800 |
| 85 and over | 174,011 | 53.1 | 54.6 | 156,344 | 51.0 | 52.5 | +17,667 |
| Total persons needing assistance | 780,476 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 644,336 | 5.4 | 5.2 | +136,140 |
| Need for assistance with core activities summary | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia - Total females (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Assistance needed by age group (years) | Number | % | Greater Capital Cities % | Number | % | Greater Capital Cities % | 2016 to 2021 |
| Total persons needing assistance | 780,476 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 644,336 | 5.4 | 5.2 | +136,140 |
| Total persons not needing assistance | 11,395,215 | 88.5 | 89.4 | 10,402,364 | 87.7 | 88.5 | +992,851 |
| Not stated | 701,938 | 5.5 | 4.8 | 808,558 | 6.8 | 6.2 | -106,620 |
| Total Population | 12,877,629 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 11,855,258 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +1,022,371 |
Dominant groups
Analysis of the need for assistance of females in Australia compared to Greater Capital Cities shows that there was a similar proportion of females who reported needing assistance with core activities.
Overall, 6.1% of the female population reported needing assistance with core activities, compared with 5.8% for Greater Capital Cities.
The major differences in the female age groups reporting a need for assistance in Australia and Greater Capital Cities were:
- A smaller percentage of females aged 80 to 84 (30.7% compared to 32.9%)
- A smaller percentage of females aged 85 and over (53.1% compared to 54.6%)
- A smaller percentage of females aged 75 to 79 (17.9% compared to 19.3%)
Emerging groups
The major differences in the female age groups reporting a need for assistance between 2016 and 2021 in Australia were in the age groups:
- 70 to 74 (+20,871 females)
- 20 to 59 (+19,380 females)
- 80 to 84 (+17,800 females)
- 85 and over (+17,667 females)
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