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AustraliaCommunity profile

Western Australia

Need for assistance

In 2021, 65,258 females (or 4.9% of the female population) in Western Australia reported needing help in their day-to-day lives due to disability. This was a percentage increase from 2011.

Western 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. Western 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
Western Australia - Females (Usual residence)20212011Change
Assistance needed by age group (years)Number% of total age groupAustralia %Number% of total age groupAustralia %2011 to 2021
0 to 47250.91.04980.70.8+227
5 to 91,9352.32.89491.41.7+986
10 to 193,9792.52.91,7871.31.6+2,192
20 to 5915,6382.22.710,6221.72.3+5,016
60 to 643,9965.26.62,7004.55.9+1,296
65 to 694,2836.38.32,3095.46.9+1,974
70 to 745,3819.211.42,9728.810.6+2,409
75 to 796,15115.317.94,00214.917.6+2,149
80 to 847,76126.930.75,97727.529.2+1,784
85 and over15,09250.253.111,13850.252.0+3,954
Total persons needing assistance65,2584.96.142,9543.95.0+22,304
Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Need for assistance with core activities summary
Western Australia - Total females (Usual residence)20212011Change
Assistance needed by age group (years)Number%Australia %Number%Australia %2011 to 2021
Total persons needing assistance65,2584.96.142,9543.95.0+22,304
Total persons not needing assistance1,197,96689.688.51,005,57590.389.9+192,391
Not stated73,9445.55.564,4575.85.1+9,487
Total Population1,337,168100.0100.01,112,986100.0100.0+224,182
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2011 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

Analysis of the need for assistance of females in Australia compared to Australia shows that there was a lower proportion of females who reported needing assistance with core activities.

Overall, 4.9% of the female population reported needing assistance with core activities, compared with 6.1% for Australia.

The major differences in the female age groups reporting a need for assistance in Western Australia and Australia were:

  • A smaller percentage of females aged 80 to 84 (26.9% compared to 30.7%)
  • A smaller percentage of females aged 85 and over (50.2% compared to 53.1%)
  • A smaller percentage of females aged 75 to 79 (15.3% compared to 17.9%)
  • A smaller percentage of females aged 70 to 74 (9.2% compared to 11.4%)

Emerging groups

The major differences in the female age groups reporting a need for assistance between 2011 and 2021 in Western Australia were in the age groups:

  • 20 to 59 (+5,016 females)
  • 85 and over (+3,954 females)
  • 70 to 74 (+2,409 females)
  • 10 to 19 (+2,192 females)

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