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AustraliaCommunity profile

Greater Capital Cities

Need for assistance

In 2021, 897,387 people (or 5.4% of the population) in Greater Capital Cities reported needing help in their day-to-day lives due to disability. This was a percentage increase from 2016.

Greater Capital Cities'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. Greater Capital Cities'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
Greater Capital Cities - Persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Assistance needed by age group (years)Number% of total age groupAustralia %Number% of total age groupAustralia %2016 to 2021
0 to 413,4021.41.411,0251.11.1+2,377
5 to 943,0634.14.429,8413.13.2+13,222
10 to 1972,3243.74.049,7802.73.0+22,544
20 to 59220,9852.42.7196,8572.32.6+24,128
60 to 6455,6156.36.448,9516.36.5+6,664
65 to 6963,0598.38.154,4407.97.8+8,619
70 to 7478,52911.711.256,01711.010.5+22,512
75 to 7984,92717.916.865,69517.316.0+19,232
80 to 8496,84129.527.777,66328.426.4+19,178
85 and over165,94850.548.9144,06448.346.8+21,884
Total persons needing assistance897,3875.45.8734,3154.85.1+163,072
Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Need for assistance with core activities summary
Greater Capital Cities - Total persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Assistance needed by age group (years)Number%Australia %Number%Australia %2016 to 2021
Total persons needing assistance897,3875.45.8734,3154.85.1+163,072
Total persons not needing assistance14,820,93489.588.413,464,40088.787.7+1,356,534
Not stated847,7405.15.9980,0526.57.1-132,312
Total Population16,566,061100.0100.015,178,767100.0100.0+1,387,294
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 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 people in Australia compared to Australia shows that there was a similar proportion of people who reported needing assistance with core activities.

Overall, 5.4% of the population reported needing assistance with core activities, compared with 5.8% for Australia.

The major differences in the age groups reporting a need for assistance in Greater Capital Cities and Australia were:

  • A larger percentage of persons aged 80 to 84 (29.5% compared to 27.7%)
  • A larger percentage of persons aged 85 and over (50.5% compared to 48.9%)
  • A larger percentage of persons aged 75 to 79 (17.9% compared to 16.8%)

Emerging groups

The major differences in the age groups reporting a need for assistance between 2016 and 2021 in Greater Capital Cities were in the age groups:

  • 20 to 59 (+24,128 persons)
  • 10 to 19 (+22,544 persons)
  • 70 to 74 (+22,512 persons)
  • 85 and over (+21,884 persons)

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