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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idIn 2021, 464,712 people (or 5.8% of the population) in New South Wales reported needing help in their day-to-day lives due to disability. This was a similar percentage to 2016.
New South Wales'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. New South Wales'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 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales - Persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Assistance needed by age group (years) | Number | % of total age group | Australia % | Number | % of total age group | Australia % | 2016 to 2021 |
| 0 to 4 | 6,344 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 5,318 | 1.1 | 1.1 | +1,026 |
| 5 to 9 | 20,186 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 14,966 | 3.1 | 3.2 | +5,220 |
| 10 to 19 | 35,030 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 25,502 | 2.9 | 3.0 | +9,528 |
| 20 to 59 | 111,063 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 106,976 | 2.7 | 2.6 | +4,087 |
| 60 to 64 | 30,670 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 28,556 | 6.8 | 6.5 | +2,114 |
| 65 to 69 | 35,061 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 31,560 | 8.2 | 7.8 | +3,501 |
| 70 to 74 | 42,627 | 11.5 | 11.2 | 31,567 | 10.8 | 10.5 | +11,060 |
| 75 to 79 | 45,130 | 16.8 | 16.8 | 36,033 | 16.6 | 16.0 | +9,097 |
| 80 to 84 | 50,734 | 27.7 | 27.7 | 41,865 | 26.9 | 26.4 | +8,869 |
| 85 and over | 86,534 | 47.6 | 48.9 | 79,693 | 47.6 | 46.8 | +6,841 |
| Total persons needing assistance | 464,712 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 402,048 | 5.4 | 5.1 | +62,664 |
| Need for assistance with core activities summary | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Assistance needed by age group (years) | Number | % | Australia % | Number | % | Australia % | 2016 to 2021 |
| Total persons needing assistance | 464,712 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 402,048 | 5.4 | 5.1 | +62,664 |
| Total persons not needing assistance | 7,128,700 | 88.3 | 88.4 | 6,558,727 | 87.7 | 87.7 | +569,973 |
| Not stated | 478,750 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 519,452 | 6.9 | 7.1 | -40,702 |
| Total Population | 8,072,162 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 7,480,227 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +591,935 |
Dominant groups
Analysis of the need for assistance of people in Australia compared to Australia shows that there was a similar proportion of people who reported needing assistance with core activities.
Overall, 5.8% of the population reported needing assistance with core activities, compared with 5.8% for Australia.
The major difference in the age groups reporting a need for assistance in New South Wales and Australia is:
- A smaller percentage of persons aged 85 and over (47.6% compared to 48.9%)
Emerging groups
The major differences in the age groups reporting a need for assistance between 2016 and 2021 in New South Wales were in the age groups:
- 70 to 74 (+11,060 persons)
- 10 to 19 (+9,528 persons)
- 75 to 79 (+9,097 persons)
- 80 to 84 (+8,869 persons)
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