One in four New Zealanders "disabled": government survey

Almost a quarter of all New Zealanders were identified as disabled last year and the proportion is growing as the population ages, according to survey results released by a government statistics agency on Tuesday.

A total of 1.1 million people, or 24 percent of the population, were identified as disabled, up from 20 percent of the population in 2001, according to Statistics New Zealand.

The results showed that 11 percent of children and 27 percent of adults were limited in their daily activities by a range of impairments.

"The New Zealand population is aging, with the proportion of the population aged over 65 years growing, and this group has a higher likelihood of being disabled than younger adults or children," labor market and household statistics manager Diane Ramsay said in a statement.

The most common impairment type for adults was a physical limitation, which affected more women than men, while the most common type of impairment for children was difficulty with learning, which affected more boys than girls.

Statistics Minister Nicky Wagner said the survey results were used for monitoring and reporting on the country's progress against implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

"The data gives us a better picture of the disabled community and its needs, which provides the information decision-makers, service providers, individuals and advocates really need," Wagner said in a statement.