Release date: May 28, 2024
Introduction
The Canadian
Survey on Disability (CSD) is the official source for the disability rate among
the Canadian population and provides insight on the lived experiences of
persons with disabilities. This profile is the first in-depth look at results
of the 2022 CSD, following the initial release in late 2023 (The
Daily, 2023a).
The goal of this article is to provide an overview of the prevalence of
disability in Canada, and of the labour market participation and income of Canadians
with disabilities. Where possible, results of the 2022 CSD will be compared
with the 2017 CSD, to provide insight into changes in the rate of disability,
labour market participation and income over the past five years.
This profile, which
builds on a previous CSD report (A demographic, employment and income profile of Canadians with disabilities aged 15 years and over, 2017),
is divided into three sections – demographics, employment, and income – and is
guided by three main questions: What is the prevalence of disabilities in
Canada? How does the employment level of persons with disabilities compare to
those without disabilities? How does income compare between persons with and
without disabilities, and what implications does this have regarding poverty? This
article considers a number of factors that may have a meaningful impact on
employment and income for persons with disabilities, including severity of
disabilities, age, gender, education, and living arrangements. As a result of differences in the way some estimates were calculated in the previous CSD report, comparisons between the two articles should be made with caution.
Data from the
CSD, and this profile in particular, will help inform policies, programs and
services which support persons with disabilities. Furthermore, these data
support the implementation of Canada’s Disability Inclusion
Action Plan (DIAP) (Government of
Canada, 2022a) and
the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) (2019).
Comparisons between CSD cycles
For the first
time, it is possible to compare two cycles of the CSD – that is, the 2017 and
2022 CSD. This is possible because the same set of questions and the same
methodology were used to identify persons with a disability. However, changes
to survey content may impact the comparability of data over time. For more
information on comparability between 2022 and 2017, see the Canadian Survey on
Disability, 2022: Concepts and Methods Guide (Pianosi
et al., 2023).
Comparisons with the 2012 CSD are not possible due to changes in survey
methodology that occurred between the 2012 and 2017 cycles, specifically
changes to the questions used on the census to identify the CSD target
population of persons most likely to have a disability. For more information on
comparability between 2017 CSD and 2012 CSD, see the Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017: Concepts and Methods Guide(Cloutier et al., 2018).
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About the Canadian Survey on Disability
Canada has collected data on disability for more than 30 years. Since
2012, the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) has been Canada’s main source of that
data. The CSD provides comprehensive data on persons with
disabilities for each province and territory. The survey also collects
essential information on disability types and severity, supports for persons
with disabilities, their employment profiles, income, education, and other
disability-specific information.
The survey population for the 2022 CSD was comprised of
Canadians aged 15 years and over as of the date of the 2021 Census of the
Population (May 2021) who were living in private dwellings. It excludes those
living in institutions, on Canadian Armed Forces bases, on First Nations
reserves and those living in collective dwellings. As the institutionalized
population is excluded, the data, particularly for the older age groups, should
be interpreted accordingly.
The CSD uses Disability Screening Questions (DSQ)
which are based on the social model of disability (Grondin, 2016). This model
defines disability as the relationship between body function and structure,
daily activities and social participation, while recognizing the role of
environmental factors. In keeping with this framework,
the CSD targeted respondents who not only have a difficulty or
impairment due to a long-term condition or health problem but also experience
limitations in their daily activities. The CSD definition of
disability includes anyone who reported being “sometimes”, “often” or “always”
limited in their daily activities due to a long-term condition or health
problem, as well as anyone who reported being “rarely” limited if they were
also unable to do certain tasks or could only do them with a lot of difficulty.
For more information,
see the Canadian
Survey on Disability, 2022: Concepts and Methods Guide (Pianosi et al., 2023).
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Section 1: Demographics
Section 1 explores key demographics of Canadians with disabilities in 2022. It
presents data on the prevalence (or rate) of disability, disability severity,
types of disability, number of co-occurring disability types, and how these
characteristics differ by age and gender. Where
applicable, comparisons between 2017 and 2022 are also provided to highlight
changes over time.Note
1.1 Prevalence and severity of disabilities
More
than one in four Canadians aged 15 years and over have a disability
In 2022, the disability rate for persons aged 15 years and over in
Canada was 27%. This represents nearly 8 million people who were identified as
having one or more disabilities, an increase of 1.7 million people over 2017,
when the disability rate was 22% (Table 1.1.A; Table 1.1.B). Disability rates increased with
age: one
in five (20%) youth aged 15 to 24 years had one or more disabilities in 2022,
compared to one in four (24%) adults aged 25 to 64 years and two in five (40%)
seniors aged 65 years and over (Chart 1.1; Table 1.1.A).
Data table for Chart 1.1
| Age group | Total, all genders | Women+ | Men+ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | ||||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | lower | upper | ||||
| Total, 15 years and over | 27.0 | 26.6 | 27.3 | 29.9 | 29.4 | 30.4 | 23.9 | 23.4 | 24.4 |
| 15 to 24 years | 20.1 | 19.5 | 20.7 | 24.7 | 23.6 | 25.7 | 15.8 | 14.9 | 16.8 |
| 25 to 44 years | 20.5 | 19.9 | 21.1 | 23.9 | 23.0 | 24.8 | 17.0 | 16.1 | 17.9 |
| 45 to 64 years | 27.7Note * | 27.0 | 28.3 | 29.9Note * | 28.9 | 31.0 | 25.3Note * | 24.3 | 26.4 |
| 65 to 74 years | 35.0Note * | 34.0 | 36.0 | 35.8Note * | 34.2 | 37.4 | 34.0Note * | 32.4 | 35.7 |
| 75 years and over | 49.2Note * | 47.8 | 50.5 | 50.8Note * | 48.7 | 52.8 | 47.2Note * | 45.0 | 49.3 |
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Sex at birth and gender
The 2022 CSD
includes questions on both sex at birth and gender,
while the 2017 CSD asked respondents if they were male or female (i.e., their
sex). This analysis uses the concept of gender to disaggregate and disseminate
2022 CSD data. The change to disseminate data on gender rather than sex is
consistent with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Policy direction to
modernize the Government of Canada’s sex and gender information practices
(2018) and is consistent with the changes to the 2021 Census (see Filling
the gaps: Information on gender in the 2021 Census).
In this analysis, in
the case of the 2022 CSD data, a two-category gender variable is used to
protect the confidentiality of non-binary persons, given the relatively small
size of this population in Canada. More specifically, non-binary persons have
been redistributed into the ‘men’ and ‘women’ categories. The category of ‘men’
includes cisgender and transgender men (and/or boys), as well as some
non-binary persons, while ‘women’ includes cisgender and transgender women
(and/or girls), as well as some non-binary persons (in charts and tables these
categories are denoted as ‘men+’ and ‘women+’). Although sex and gender refer
to two different concepts, the introduction of gender is not expected to have a
significant impact on data analysis and historical comparability relative to
the 2017 CSD, given the small size of the transgender and non-binary
populations.
For more
information, see the Canadian
Survey on Disability, 2022: Concepts and Methods Guide (Pianosi et al., 2023).
End of text box
Women
are more likely than men to have a disability
In 2022, among Canadians aged 15 years
and over, a greater proportion of women (30%) had a disability than men (24%).
Disability rates were higher among women than men for all age groups except
those aged 65 to 74 years, where the difference between women and men was not
statistically significant (Chart 1.1; Table
1.1.A). The largest gaps in the disability rate
between women and men occurred for those aged 15 to 24 years (9 percentage
points) and 25 to 44 years (7 percentage points), with the gap tending to
narrow with age.
Younger
age groups see largest increase in disability rate since 2017
Between
2017 and 2022, the overall disability rate increased by 5 percentage points
(from 22% to 27%) among people aged 15 years and over (Chart 1.2; Table 1.1.A).
Disability rates increased across all age groups except for seniors aged 75 and
over. These increases were largest among youth aged 15 to 24 years (an increase
of 7 percentage points) and adults aged 25 to 44 years (an increase of 5
percentage points). High rates of disability among
seniors (a growing population in CanadaNote ) and increased rates of disability
among younger age groups contributed to the overall increase in the prevalence
of disabilities since 2017.
In
addition, disability rates increased among women and men between 2017 and 2022,
but the increase was larger for women (from 24% to 30%) than for men (from 20%
to 24%). This means that the difference in disability rates among women and men
also widened between 2017 and 2022 (from 4 to 6 percentage points).
Data table for Chart 1.2
| Age group | 2017 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Total, 15 years and over | 22.3 | 22.0 | 22.6 | 27.0Note * | 26.6 | 27.3 |
| 15 to 24 years | 13.1 | 12.7 | 13.6 | 20.1Note * | 19.5 | 20.7 |
| 25 to 44 years | 15.3 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 20.5Note * | 19.9 | 21.1 |
| 45 to 64 years | 24.3 | 23.7 | 25.0 | 27.7Note * | 27.0 | 28.3 |
| 65 to 74 years | 32.0 | 31.0 | 33.0 | 35.0Note * | 34.0 | 36.0 |
| 75 years and over | 47.4 | 45.9 | 48.8 | 49.2 | 47.8 | 50.5 |
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Global severity class
A global severity score was
developed for the CSD, which was calculated for each person using: a) the
number of disability types that a person has, b) the level of difficulty
experienced in performing certain tasks, and c) the frequency of activity
limitations. To simplify the concept of severity, four severity classes were
established: mild, moderate, severe, and very severe. Note that the name
assigned to each class is intended to facilitate use of severity score and is
not label or judgement concerning the person’s level of disability.
For more information, see the Canadian
Survey on Disability, 2022: Concepts and Methods Guide (Pianosi et al., 2023).
End of text box
One
in five are classified as having “very severe” disabilities
Of the nearly 8 million persons with
disabilities in Canada in 2022, 39% were classified as having a mild
disability; 20% had a moderate disability; 20% had a severe disability; and 21%
had a very severe disability (Chart 1.3; Table 1.2.A).
Women were more likely than men to have severe or very severe disabilities (21%
versus 19%, and 22% versus 20%, respectively), and less likely to have mild
disabilities (38% versus 41%). The distribution of severity classes in 2022 was
similar to that of 2017, both in the overall population and when analyzed by
gender.
Data table for Chart 1.3
| Disability severity | Total, all genders | Women+ | Men+ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | ||||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | lower | upper | ||||
| Mild | 39.0 | 38.0 | 40.1 | 37.7Note * | 36.3 | 39.1 | 40.8 | 39.2 | 42.5 |
| Moderate | 19.8 | 18.9 | 20.8 | 19.2 | 18.0 | 20.4 | 20.7 | 19.3 | 22.2 |
| Severe | 20.0 | 19.1 | 20.9 | 21.1Note * | 19.9 | 22.4 | 18.6 | 17.3 | 19.9 |
| Very severe | 21.1 | 20.2 | 22.0 | 22.0Note * | 20.8 | 23.3 | 19.9 | 18.7 | 21.2 |
Proportion
of severe or very severe disabilities increases with age
Among persons
with disabilities, the distribution of severity classes varied across age
groups in 2022. For example, the proportion of persons with a mild disability ranged
from 48% among youth aged 15 to 24 years to 27% among those aged 75 years and
over (Chart 1.4; Table 1.2.A). In contrast, the proportion of persons with a very
severe disability ranged from 13% among youth aged 15 to 24 years to 32% among
those aged 75 years and over. Findings for disability severity by age groups
were similar to results from the 2017 CSD.
Data table for Chart 1.4
| Age group and disability severity | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |
|---|---|---|---|
| lower | upper | ||
| 15 to 24 years | |||
| Mild | 47.9 | 45.4 | 50.3 |
| Moderate | 20.0 | 18.1 | 22.1 |
| Severe | 18.9 | 17.2 | 20.7 |
| Very severe | 13.3 | 11.8 | 15.0 |
| 25 to 44 years | |||
| Mild | 48.6 | 46.5 | 50.7 |
| Moderate | 19.9 | 18.2 | 21.7 |
| Severe | 17.9 | 16.3 | 19.7 |
| Very severe | 13.6 | 12.2 | 15.2 |
| 45 to 64 years | |||
| Mild | 37.2Note * | 35.2 | 39.4 |
| Moderate | 20.3 | 18.5 | 22.2 |
| Severe | 19.7 | 18.1 | 21.5 |
| Very severe | 22.8Note * | 21.1 | 24.5 |
| 65 to 74 years | |||
| Mild | 34.2Note * | 31.7 | 36.8 |
| Moderate | 20.3 | 18.2 | 22.5 |
| Severe | 21.9Note * | 19.8 | 24.2 |
| Very severe | 23.6Note * | 21.5 | 25.9 |
| 75 years and over | |||
| Mild | 26.5Note * | 24.1 | 29.0 |
| Moderate | 18.3 | 16.1 | 20.6 |
| Severe | 22.9Note * | 20.5 | 25.4 |
| Very severe | 32.4Note * | 29.8 | 35.1 |
1.2 Types of disabilities
Disabilities
related to pain, flexibility, mobility, and mental health remain the most
common
In 2022, more than one in ten
Canadians aged 15 years and over had a disability related to pain (17%),
flexibility (11%), mobility (11%) and mental health (10%) (Chart 1.5; Table 1.3.A),
making these the most common disability types in 2022. These were also
the most prevalent disability types in 2017. These
were followed by seeing (7%), hearing (6%), learning (6%), dexterity (5%), and
memory (5%) disabilities. Developmental and unknownNote
disabilities were the least prevalent types, representing approximately 2% and
1% of those aged 15 years and over.
Women
are more likely than men to have a disability related to pain and mental health
In 2022, the prevalence of disability was higher among
women than men across all disability types, except for hearing, learning, and
unknown disabilities (Chart 1.5; Table 1.3.A). Pain-related and mental
health-related disabilities showed the largest gap (more than 5 percentage
points) between women and men.
Data table for Chart 1.5
| Type of disability | Total, all genders | Women+ | Men+ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | ||||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | lower | upper | ||||
| Pain-related | 16.7 | 16.3 | 17.0 | 19.3Note * | 18.7 | 19.8 | 14.0 | 13.5 | 14.4 |
| Flexibility | 10.9 | 10.6 | 11.2 | 11.8Note * | 11.3 | 12.3 | 9.9 | 9.5 | 10.4 |
| Mobility | 10.6 | 10.3 | 10.9 | 12.2Note * | 11.8 | 12.7 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 9.3 |
| Mental health-related | 10.4 | 10.1 | 10.7 | 12.9Note * | 12.5 | 13.4 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.2 |
| Seeing | 7.4 | 7.1 | 7.7 | 8.8Note * | 8.3 | 9.2 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 6.3 |
| Hearing | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 5.3 | 6.1 |
| Learning | 5.6 | 5.4 | 5.8 | 5.9Note * | 5.6 | 6.3 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 5.6 |
| Dexterity | 5.0 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 5.7Note * | 5.3 | 6.0 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.6 |
| Memory | 4.9 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.5Note * | 5.1 | 5.9 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.6 |
| Developmental | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.3Note * | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.0 |
| Unknown | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.9 |
The
most prevalent disability types among working-age adults are related to pain,
mental health and flexibility
The prevalence of disability types varied with age. Among
youth aged 15 to 24 years, the three most common disability types were mental
health-related (14%), learning (9%) and pain-related (7%) disabilities (Chart
1.6; Table 1.4.A). Among adults aged 25 to 64, the three most common disability
types were related to pain (15%), mental health (11%) and flexibility (9%).
Among seniors aged 65 years and over, the most common disability types were
related to pain (28%), mobility (26%) and flexibility (24%). The top three
disability types within each age group were the same in 2017.
Data table for Chart 1.6
| Type of disability | 15 to 24 years | 25 to 64 years | 65 years and over | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | ||||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | lower | upper | ||||
| Pain-related | 6.7 | 6.2 | 7.3 | 15.2Note * | 14.8 | 15.7 | 27.6Note * | 26.8 | 28.5 |
| Flexibility | 2.0 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 8.6Note * | 8.2 | 9.0 | 23.7Note * | 22.9 | 24.6 |
| Mobility | 2.0 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 7.6Note * | 7.3 | 7.9 | 25.5Note * | 24.6 | 26.4 |
| Mental health-related | 13.6 | 13.0 | 14.2 | 11.1Note * | 10.7 | 11.5 | 6.1Note * | 5.6 | 6.7 |
| Seeing | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 6.7Note * | 6.4 | 7.1 | 11.4Note * | 10.7 | 12.1 |
| Hearing | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 3.9Note * | 3.6 | 4.2 | 13.6Note * | 12.8 | 14.4 |
| Learning | 9.2 | 8.6 | 9.8 | 5.3Note * | 5.0 | 5.6 | 4.1Note * | 3.6 | 4.5 |
| Dexterity | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 3.7Note * | 3.5 | 4.0 | 11.3Note * | 10.6 | 12.1 |
| Memory | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.5Note * | 4.3 | 4.8 | 6.6Note * | 6.0 | 7.2 |
| Developmental | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 1.4Note * | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.6Note * | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| Unknown | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.7Note * | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2Note * | 0.9 | 1.5 |
Prevalence
of all disability types increased between 2017 and 2022, with mental
health-related disabilities increasing the most
Since 2017, the prevalence of all
disability types increased among the Canadian population (Chart 1.7; Table 1.3.A). The largest increases
occurred for mental health-related (3 percentage points), pain-related (2
percentage points) and seeing (2 percentage points) disabilities.
Data table for Chart 1.7
| Type of disability | 2017 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Pain-related | 14.5 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 16.7Note * | 16.3 | 17.0 |
| Flexibility | 10.0 | 9.7 | 10.2 | 10.9Note * | 10.6 | 11.2 |
| Mobility | 9.6 | 9.3 | 9.8 | 10.6Note * | 10.3 | 10.9 |
| Mental health-related | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 10.4Note * | 10.1 | 10.7 |
| Seeing | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 7.4Note * | 7.1 | 7.7 |
| Hearing | 4.8 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.6Note * | 5.3 | 5.9 |
| Learning | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 5.6Note * | 5.4 | 5.8 |
| Dexterity | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 5.0Note * | 4.7 | 5.2 |
| Memory | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.9Note * | 4.7 | 5.1 |
| Developmental | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.5Note * | 1.4 | 1.7 |
| Unknown | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8Note * | 0.7 | 0.9 |
Mental health-related disabilities showed the largest
increase in prevalence for women (4 percentage points) and men (2 percentage
points) (Table
1.3.A). This was also the case among youth aged 15 to 24 years (6 percentage
points) and adults aged 25 to 64 years (4 percentage points). Among persons
aged 65 years and over, seeing disabilities had the largest increase (2
percentage points) between 2017 and 2022 (Table 1.4.A).
Young
women are more than twice as likely as young men to have a mental
health-related disability
In 2022, one in five (19%) women aged 15 to 24 years had a
mental health-related disability, compared to one in ten (9%) men in the same
age group (Chart 1.8; Table 1.5.A). The prevalence of mental health-related
disabilities was also higher among women than men in most other age groups,
except for those aged 65 to 74 years and 75 years and over. However, the gap in
rates among women and men narrowed with age due to a decrease in the proportion
of women with mental health-related disabilities in older age groups. This is a
similar pattern to 2017.
Data table for Chart 1.8
| Age group | Total, all genders | Women+ | Men+ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | ||||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | lower | upper | ||||
| Total, 15 years and over | 10.4 | 10.1 | 10.7 | 12.9 | 12.5 | 13.4 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.2 |
| 15 to 24 years | 13.6 | 13.0 | 14.2 | 19.1 | 18.0 | 20.1 | 8.5 | 7.7 | 9.3 |
| 25 to 44 years | 11.9Note * | 11.4 | 12.5 | 14.9Note * | 14.0 | 15.7 | 8.9 | 8.2 | 9.7 |
| 45 to 64 years | 10.3Note * | 9.7 | 10.9 | 12.7Note * | 11.8 | 13.6 | 7.9 | 7.1 | 8.8 |
| 65 to 74 years | 6.5Note * | 5.8 | 7.2 | 7.3Note * | 6.3 | 8.4 | 5.6Note * | 4.7 | 6.7 |
| 75 years and over | 5.5Note * | 4.7 | 6.4 | 6.0Note * | 4.9 | 7.3 | 4.9Note * | 3.8 | 6.3 |
Rate
of mental health-related disabilities has increased most for young women
The prevalence of mental health-related disabilities
increased between 2017 and 2022 for most age groups, except for those aged 65
years and over (Chart 1.9; Table 1.5.A). This finding held across genders, but was
particularly pronounced among young women. The largest increase in mental
health-related disabilities occurred among women aged 15 to 24 years, for whom
the rate doubled since 2017 (an increase of 9 percentage points). In
contrast, the largest increase in the rate of mental health-related disabilities
among men was for those aged 25 to 44 (4 percentage points).
Data table for Chart 1.9
| Age group | 2017 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Total, 15 years and over | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 10.7 |
| 15 to 24 years | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.3 | 13.6 | 13.0 | 14.2 |
| 25 to 44 years | 7.4 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 11.9Note * | 11.4 | 12.5 |
| 45 to 64 years | 7.9 | 7.4 | 8.3 | 10.3Note * | 9.7 | 10.9 |
| 65 to 74 years | 5.6Note * | 5.0 | 6.3 | 6.5Note * | 5.8 | 7.2 |
| 75 years and over | 5.0Note * | 4.2 | 5.9 | 5.5Note * | 4.7 | 6.4 |
Over two-thirds of persons with disabilities have two or
more co-occurring disability types
In 2022, 29% of persons with disabilities aged 15 years and
over had one type of disability; 37% had two or three disability types; and 34%
had four or more disability types (Chart 1.10; Table 1.6.A). In
addition, women were more likely than men to have a higher number of
co-occurring disability types.
Data table for Chart 1.10
| Number of disability types | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 disability type | 2 or 3 disability types | 4 or more disability types | |||||||
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | ||||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | lower | upper | ||||
| Total, all genders | 29.4 | 28.4 | 30.4 | 36.7 | 35.6 | 37.8 | 33.9 | 32.9 | 34.9 |
| Women+ | 28.0Note * | 26.7 | 29.3 | 36.8 | 35.4 | 38.1 | 35.2Note * | 33.8 | 36.7 |
| Men+ | 31.3 | 29.6 | 33.0 | 36.5 | 34.9 | 38.3 | 32.2 | 30.6 | 33.8 |
The number of co-occurring disability types tended to
increase with age. For example, seniors aged 75 years and older were more than
twice as likely as youth aged 15 to 24 years to have four or more disability
types (47% versus 20%) (Chart 1.11;
Table 1.6.A).
The distribution of the number of co-occurring disability types in 2022
mirrored that of 2017, both in the overall population of persons with
disabilities, and when analyzed by gender or age groups.
Data table for Chart 1.11
| Age group | 1 disability type | 2 or 3 disability types | 4 or more disability types | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | ||||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | lower | upper | ||||
| 15 to 24 years | 36.5 | 34.1 | 39.0 | 43.2 | 40.7 | 45.7 | 20.3 | 18.4 | 22.2 |
| 25 to 44 years | 37.7 | 35.6 | 39.8 | 38.3Note * | 36.2 | 40.5 | 24.0Note * | 22.2 | 25.9 |
| 45 to 64 years | 27.6Note * | 25.7 | 29.6 | 34.9Note * | 32.9 | 37.0 | 37.5Note * | 35.5 | 39.5 |
| 65 to 74 years | 24.2Note * | 21.9 | 26.6 | 37.5Note * | 34.9 | 40.2 | 38.3Note * | 35.8 | 40.9 |
| 75 years and over | 20.7Note * | 18.3 | 23.2 | 32.5Note * | 29.9 | 35.2 | 46.8Note * | 44.0 | 49.6 |
Section 2: Employment
This section examines labour
market characteristics for working-age adults (aged 25 to 64 years) and youth
(aged 15 to 24 years) as well as persons aged 65 to 69 years with disabilities.
Differences in employment rates by disability characteristics, age groups, and
educational attainment are discussed. In addition, the potential size of the
labour force with disabilities in an inclusive, accessible, and accommodating
labour market, is explored. Where relevant,
comparisons between 2017 and 2022 CSD are provided to highlight changes over
time.
It is important
to note that while the CSD data were collected in 2017 and 2022, the
information regarding labour force status presented in this section (unless
otherwise noted) comes from the 2016 and 2021 Census of Population. Therefore,
the data reflects the reference weeks for the censuses, May 1 to May 7, 2016,
and May 2 to May 8, 2021.Note For more
information, see the Canadian Survey on Disability, 2022: Concepts and Methods Guide (Pianosi et al., 2023).
2.1 Employment rates among adults aged 25 to 64 years
Persons with mild disabilities are
more than twice as likely to be employed as those with very severe disabilities
Consistent with previous
research on the employment experiences of persons with disabilities, adults
with disabilities had lower rates of employment in 2021 than those without
disabilities. Among those aged 25 to 64 years, three in five (62%) persons with
disabilities were employed compared to almost four in five (78%) persons
without disabilities (Chart 2.1; Table 2.1.A). The results also showed that employment rates decreased
as the severity of disability increased. In particular, persons with very
severe disabilities had a much lower employment rate than persons with mild
disabilities (30% versus 75%).
Employment rates among persons with disabilities increased
between 2016 and 2021
Between
2016 and 2021, the employment rate for persons with disabilities aged 25 to 64
years increased from 59% to 62%. While the employment rates for persons with
mild or very severe disabilities remained relatively unchanged, the rates for
persons with moderate or severe disabilities increased by about 5 percentage
points each (Chart 2.1; Table 2.1.A). In contrast, the employment rate for persons without
disabilities in the same age group decreased from 80% to 78% over the same time
period.
Data table for Chart 2.1
| 2016 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Disability status | ||||||
| Persons with disabilities | 59.4 | 57.9 | 60.8 | 61.8Note * | 60.3 | 63.3 |
| Persons without disabilities | 80.1 | 79.7 | 80.6 | 77.8Note * | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Disability severity | ||||||
| Mild | 75.6 | 73.2 | 77.8 | 74.9 | 72.5 | 77.1 |
| Moderate | 66.5 | 63.2 | 69.7 | 71.4Note * | 68.1 | 74.5 |
| Severe | 49.0 | 45.6 | 52.4 | 54.5Note * | 50.9 | 58.0 |
| Very severe | 31.3 | 28.6 | 34.2 | 29.9 | 26.9 | 33.2 |
For ease of discussion, the
rest of this article combines the “mild” and “moderate” categories into a
“milder” severity class, and the “severe” and “very severe” categories into a
“more severe” severity class.
Three in ten persons with more
severe disabilities aged 55 to 64 years were employed
Employment rates varied
across age groups for persons with and without disabilities. Among those with
disabilities, employment rates were lower among those aged 55 to 64 years
compared to those aged 25 to 34 years regardless of severity (Chart 2.2; Table 2.2.A). In contrast, employment
rates for persons with disabilities aged 35 to 44 years and 45 to 54 years were
generally higher than among their younger counterparts, except for those aged
45 to 54 years with more severe disabilities. Persons without disabilities
followed a similar pattern in employment rates by age group, with higher rates
among those aged 35 to 54 years relative to those aged 25 to 34 years, and a
lower rate for those aged 55 to 64 years.
Data table for Chart 2.2
| Age group and disability status / severity | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |
|---|---|---|---|
| lower | upper | ||
| 25 to 34 years | |||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 65.1 | 61.9 | 68.1 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 74.3 | 70.5 | 77.8 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 43.4 | 38.2 | 48.8 |
| Persons without disabilities | 78.2 | 77.2 | 79.1 |
| 35 to 44 years | |||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 71.3Note * | 68.3 | 74.1 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 80.8Note * | 77.3 | 83.8 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 52.1Note * | 47.0 | 57.3 |
| Persons without disabilities | 82.5Note * | 81.6 | 83.4 |
| 45 to 54 years | |||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 67.8 | 64.5 | 70.9 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 79.2 | 74.9 | 82.9 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 50.6 | 45.2 | 55.9 |
| Persons without disabilities | 84.0Note * | 83.0 | 84.9 |
| 55 to 64 years | |||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 49.2Note * | 46.5 | 52.0 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 63.5Note * | 59.7 | 67.1 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 31.4Note * | 27.8 | 35.2 |
| Persons without disabilities | 66.2Note * | 65.1 | 67.4 |
When examined by gender,
women and men with disabilities had similar employment rates for most age
groups, except for those aged 55 to 64 years where women were less likely to be
employed than men (46% versus 53%) (Chart 2.3; Table 2.2.A). Similarly, among those with milder disabilities, the
employment rate for women aged 55 to 64 years (58%) was lower than that of men
(70%)
(Table 2.2.A). However, the opposite was
observed among those with milder disabilities aged 25 to 34 years, where women
had a higher employment rate than men (78% versus 69%). No significant gender
differences in employment rates were found for any of the age groups among
those with more severe disabilities. In contrast, among those without
disabilities, employment rates for women were consistently lower than for men
across all age groups.
Data table for Chart 2.3
| Disability status and age group | Women+ | Men+ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Persons with disabilities | ||||||
| 25 to 34 years | 66.8 | 62.6 | 70.7 | 62.4 | 57.3 | 67.4 |
| 35 to 44 years | 72.0 | 68.3 | 75.4 | 70.4 | 65.6 | 74.8 |
| 45 to 54 years | 65.7 | 61.2 | 69.9 | 70.4 | 65.2 | 75.1 |
| 55 to 64 years | 46.3Note * | 42.5 | 50.1 | 52.8 | 48.8 | 56.9 |
| Persons without disabilities | ||||||
| 25 to 34 years | 73.9Note * | 72.3 | 75.4 | 82.1 | 80.8 | 83.4 |
| 35 to 44 years | 77.5Note * | 76.0 | 78.9 | 87.3 | 86.2 | 88.4 |
| 45 to 54 years | 81.1Note * | 79.6 | 82.6 | 86.7 | 85.4 | 87.9 |
| 55 to 64 years | 61.3Note * | 59.6 | 62.9 | 71.2 | 69.6 | 72.8 |
Employment rate among younger women with more severe
disabilities decreased between 2016 and 2021
While the overall employment rate for persons with
disabilities aged 25 to 64 years increased by 2 percentage points between 2016
and 2021, this finding was not consistent when the results were examined by
gender, age group and disability severity. In fact, men aged 45 to 54 years
with more severe disabilities were the only subgroup where a significant
increase in employment rate (from 41%Note E: Use with caution to 56%Note E: Use with caution) was observed. In contrast, the
employment rate of women with more severe disabilities aged 25 to 34 years
decreased from 59% to 43%. There were no significant differences in employment
rates of persons with milder disabilities between 2016 and 2021.
Higher levels of education are associated with higher
rates of employment among persons with disabilities
Previous research has
indicated that those with higher levels of education are more likely to be
employed (Statistics Canada, 2024; Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development, 2020; Till et al., 2015). In 2021, employment rates were lowest among
those with high school or less regardless of disability status, gender, and
severity (Chart
2.4; Table 2.3.A).
Among persons with disabilities, those who had a university degree (bachelor’s
degree or higher) had an employment rate that was 34 percentage points higher
than that of their counterparts with high school or less (79% versus 45%).
Educational attainment also played a role in employment rates among persons
without disabilities, but the differences were not as pronounced.
Data table for Chart 2.4
| Highest level of education | Persons with disabilities | Persons without disabilities | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| High (secondary) school diploma or equivalency certificate, or less | 45.0Note * | 42.6 | 47.5 | 68.1 | 67.1 | 69.1 |
| Postsecondary certificate or diploma below bachelor levelData table for chart 2.4 Note 1 | 66.2Note * | 63.6 | 68.6 | 81.3 | 80.4 | 82.1 |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 79.4Note * | 76.7 | 81.8 | 82.7 | 81.9 | 83.5 |
Persons with disabilities
were less likely to be employed than persons without disabilities across all
levels of education, although the gap in employment rates decreased with higher
levels of education.Note Among those with high school education or
less, 45% of persons with disabilities were employed compared to 68% of
persons without disabilities. This discrepancy in employment rates decreased
among those with a postsecondary certificate or diploma below bachelor level
(66% and 81% among persons with and without disabilities, respectively), and
those with a bachelor’s degree or higher (79% and 83%).
While gender differences in
employment rates persisted among persons without disabilities regardless of
their level of education, this was not the case for persons with disabilities.
In fact, women and men with disabilities had equal levels of employment in most
cases, except for those whose highest level of education was high school or
less. In this case, women were less likely to be employed than men (42% versus
49%) (Chart 2.5;
Table 2.3.A).
Data table for Chart 2.5
| Disability status and highest level of education | Women+ | Men+ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Persons with disabilities | ||||||
| High (secondary) school diploma or equivalency certificate, or less |
41.5Note * | 38.2 | 44.9 | 49.0 | 45.3 | 52.7 |
| Postsecondary certificate or diploma below bachelor levelData table for chart 2.5 Note 1 | 65.2 | 61.8 | 68.5 | 67.4 | 63.3 | 71.2 |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher |
79.1 | 75.7 | 82.1 | 79.8 | 75.4 | 83.6 |
| Persons without disabilities | ||||||
| High (secondary) school diploma or equivalency certificate, or less | 59.8Note * | 58.3 | 61.3 | 74.6 | 73.3 | 76.0 |
| Postsecondary certificate or diploma below bachelor levelData table for chart 2.5 Note 1 | 77.2Note * | 75.8 | 78.4 | 84.9 | 83.8 | 85.9 |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher |
79.6Note * | 78.4 | 80.6 | 86.4 | 85.4 | 87.4 |
Start of text box
Among persons with disabilities aged 25 to 64
years, one in four indicated that the cause of their condition was work-related
In 2022, the CSD asked respondents a series of
questions about the medical conditions or health problems that caused them the
most difficulty or limitations in their daily activities. Among persons with
disabilities aged 25 to 64 years who specified a medical conditionNote ,
almost one-quarter (24%) reported that one of the underlying causes of their
condition was work-related. This includes, for example, accidents or injuries
at work, stress or violence in the workplace, and exposure to chemicals. Men
were more likely than women to report a work-related cause of their condition
(30% versus 19%).
End of text box
2.2 Part-time employment among adults aged 25 to
64 years
Prevalence of part-time work is higher among workers with
more severe disabilities
Among employed persons aged
25 to 64 years, persons with disabilities were more likely to work part-time
(less than 30 hours/week) than their counterparts without disabilities (16%
versus 13%) (Table 2.4.A). This was particularly evident among men with more severe
disabilities, who were almost twice as likely to have been working part-time
(14%) as men without disabilities (8%). Likewise, women with more severe
disabilities were more likely (23%) than their counterparts without
disabilities (18%) to have been part-time workers. Men with milder disabilities
were slightly more likely to work part-time than their counterparts without
disabilities (11% versus 8%), whereas no such difference was found among women (Chart 2.6).
Data table for Chart 2.6
| Disability status / severity | Women+ | Men+ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 18.7Note * | 16.8 | 20.8 | 11.9 | 10.1 | 14.0 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 17.3Note * | 15.1 | 19.6 | 11.4 | 9.4 | 13.7 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 23.1Note * | 19.4 | 27.3 | 13.9 | 10.3 | 18.5 |
| Persons without disabilities | 17.8Note * | 17.0 | 18.6 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 8.6 |
2.3 Potential to work among non-employed adults aged 25 to
64 years with disabilities
Given the lower rate of
employment for persons with disabilities noted above (Section 2.1), it is
useful to provide an indication of the total size of the potential labour force
with disabilities under the best-case scenario—an inclusive labour market without
discrimination, with full accessibility and accommodation. As one way to
examine how the labour market might change under these more inclusive
conditions, work potential describes non-working persons with disabilities who
might be likely to enter paid employment under this best-case scenario. It is
not an attempt to measure one’s internal capacity, ability to work, or even
likelihood of finding employment under current conditions. Improving our
understanding of the population of potential workers could aid in better
targeting for labour market programs.
More than 741,000 persons with disabilities have potential
for paid employment in an inclusive labour market
Among those with disabilities
aged 25 to 64 years who were not employed in 2022, two in five (42%) could be considered
as having work potentialNote (see Text box 5 for more
information). This translates into 741,280 persons with disabilities who were
not working but had the potential to work.Note
Among non-working adults with
disabilities aged 25 to 64 years, the proportion classified as having work
potential was similar for women and men (41% versus 43%). In terms of absolute
numbers, women with work potential outnumbered men (423,580 versus 317,710).
Start of text box
Defining work potential
Work
potential is a concept used to assess the potential size of the labour force
with disabilities in an inclusive, accessible, and accommodating labour market.
It applies to persons with disabilities not currently working who might be
likely to enter paid employment under the best-case scenario, i.e., an
inclusive labour market without discrimination, with full accessibility and
accommodation. It is not an attempt to measure individuals’ capacity or ability
to work. It is rather a way to examine how the labour market might change under
more inclusive conditions.
The work
potential concept was measured as follows: persons who were officially
unemployed, or who were not in the labour force but stated they would be
looking for work in the next 12 months, were classified as potential workers.
Among the remaining respondents who were not in the labour force, those who
stated they were “completely retired”, or who said their condition completely
prevented them from working and that no workplace accommodation existed that
would enable them to work, were classified as not being potential workers.
Conversely, those who said that they were not completely retired and that
either they were not prevented from working due to their condition, or that
workplace accommodations existed that would enable them to work, were
classified as potential workers. Work potential was not determined for
individuals who could not be explicitly classified into any of the categories
above due to incomplete information.
The
definition of work potential used in this report differs from the one
previously applied by Morris et al. (2018) when analysing the 2017 CSD. In the
current definition, students are classified as being potential workers or not
depending on other characteristics mentioned above. In the previous definition,
students not in the labour force and not looking for work were not classified
as either potential workers or non-potential workers, but were excluded from
the analysis. Additionally, in the current definition, the work potential of
persons who reported that they are housebound due to their condition is
determined by the characteristics mentioned above. Previously, persons who were
housebound due to their condition were classified as non-potential workers, as
it was thought that they were not likely to enter the workforce. Being
housebound is not considered in the current definition for two reasons. First,
the questions measuring this attribute were not the same in the 2017 and 2022
CSD, posing comparability problems. Secondly, although not all jobs can be done
at home, the increase in telework or remote work opportunities since 2020 means
that being housebound is less of a decisive factor in determining work
potential (Ameri et al. 2023; Ivanchev, 2023; Schur et al. 2020).
End of text box
2.4 Employment and education among youth with
disabilities, aged 15 to 24 years
Sections 2.1 to 2.3 explored
labour market characteristics of working-age adults with disabilities (aged 25
to 64 years). However, it is also critical to examine youth (aged 15 to 24
years), as those in this age group are typically engaged in several key
transitions as they navigate from high school to post-secondary education
and/or the work force. Although many young people may find these transitions
difficult, those with disabilities can face additional challenges (Lindsay et al. 2019; Hirano et al., 2018).
This section focuses on youth who are neither in school nor employed, as those
in this group may be experiencing difficulties in making these transitions.
As discussed in Section 1 on
demographics, youth with disabilities had a somewhat different profile than
working-age adults and seniors. The most prevalent types of disabilities among
youth were mental health-related and learning disabilities. This is important
to note as it may have implications for the types of challenges faced by youth
with disabilities, and the types of accommodations they need to transition
successfully into post-secondary education or employment.
Three in ten youth with more severe disabilities are
neither in school nor employed
The severity of disability had a strong relationship with
school enrolment and employment among youth. For example, youth aged 15 to 24
years with more severe disabilities were more than twice as likely as those
with milder disabilities to be neither in school nor employedNote in 2022 (Chart 2.7; Table 2.5.A). Moreover, persons with
more severe disabilities in this age group were less likely than those with
milder disabilities to be employed during their school enrolment.
Data table for Chart 2.7
| Disability severity and school enrollment / employment | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |
|---|---|---|---|
| lower | upper | ||
| Total, persons with disabilities | |||
| In school, employed | 27.1 | 24.9 | 29.5 |
| In school, not employed | 21.9 | 19.8 | 24.1 |
| Not in school, employed | 33.7 | 31.3 | 36.1 |
| Not in school, not employed | 17.3 | 15.6 | 19.2 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | |||
| In school, employed | 30.8 | 27.9 | 33.9 |
| In school, not employed | 20.5 | 17.9 | 23.4 |
| Not in school, employed | 36.5 | 33.7 | 39.5 |
| Not in school, not employed | 12.1 | 10.3 | 14.2 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | |||
| In school, employed | 19.4Note * | 16.2 | 23.0 |
| In school, not employed | 24.7 | 21.4 | 28.4 |
| Not in school, employed | 27.7Note * | 24.0 | 31.8 |
| Not in school, not employed | 28.2Note * | 24.6 | 32.1 |
In addition, among youth with disabilities, men were more
likely than women to be neither in school, nor employed (23% versus 13%) (Table
2.5.A). However, this difference was more pronounced among youth with more severe
disabilities (39% versus 21%) than it was among youth with milder disabilities
(16% versus 9%) (Chart 2.8; Table 2.5.A). Among youth with disabilities, women
were also more likely than men to be employed during their school enrolment.
This was the case for those with milder and more severe disabilities.
Data table for Chart 2.8
| Disability severity and school enrollment / employment status | Women+ | Men+ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Persons with milder disabilities | ||||||
| In school, employed | 35.4Note * | 31.5 | 39.6 | 24.2 | 20.4 | 28.5 |
| In school, not employed | 18.8 | 15.7 | 22.3 | 23.1 | 18.8 | 27.9 |
| Not in school, employed | 36.5 | 32.7 | 40.5 | 36.6 | 32.1 | 41.2 |
| Not in school, not employed | 9.3Note * | 7.4 | 11.7 | 16.2 | 13.0 | 20.0 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | ||||||
| In school, employed | 24.2Note * | 19.8 | 29.3 | 12.0 | 8.2 | 17.3 |
| In school, not employed | 23.4 | 19.1 | 28.3 | 26.7 | 21.4 | 32.9 |
| Not in school, employed | 31.4Note * | 26.5 | 36.8 | 22.1 | 16.8 | 28.4 |
| Not in school, not employed | 21.0Note * | 17.1 | 25.5 | 39.1 | 33.0 | 45.6 |
114,000 youth with disabilities
neither in school nor employed have potential to work
Youth who are neither in
school nor employed may be at risk of low‑income or social exclusion (Brunet,
2019). Youth with disabilities may face additional challenges with entry into
education or the labour force, given the potential need for education and
workplace accommodations, as well as other disability supports. However, there
may be considerable potential for youth with disabilities to transition into
employment with proper accommodations and supports. Among the 141,980 youth with
disabilities who were neither in school nor employed in 2022, 114,490 (or 81%)
could be identified as having work potential (53,160 women and 61,340 men).
2.5 Employment among persons with disabilities aged 65 to
69 years
Many individuals with and
without disabilities continue to work beyond the typical age of retirement. In
2021, 151,240 persons with disabilities aged 65 to 69 years were employed. However,
persons with disabilities were still less likely to be employed than persons
without disabilities in this age group (22% versus 29%). Employment rates among
persons aged 65 to 69 years also decreased as disability severity increased: 24%
of persons with milder disabilities and 18%Note E: Use with caution of persons with more severe
disabilities were employed.
These findings remained
consistent when examined by gender, however the gap among women with and
without disabilities (17% versus 22%, or 5 percentage points) was smaller than
that of men with and without disabilities (27% versus 36%, or 9 percentage
points). Similarly, women and men with more severe disabilities were less
likely than women and men without disabilities to be employed (16% and 21%,
versus 22% and 36%). Among women and men, those with milder disabilities were as
likely to be employed as those without disabilities. These findings follow the
same trends observed in 2016, with no significant differences identified
between the two CSD cycles.
Section 3: Income
This section is guided by
three questions: First, how does income compare between persons with and
without disabilities? Second, using Canada’s Official Poverty Line, how does
poverty vary with key characteristics such as disability severity, gender, age,
and living arrangements? Third, among those with disabilities who were unable
to afford required aids, devices, or medication, does living above the poverty
line reduce or eliminate the risk of having unmet disability-related needs due to
cost?
Where applicable, comparisons
between the 2017 and 2022 CSD are provided to highlight differences between the
two periods. In this regard, it is important to note that the income and
poverty data included in the 2022 CSD are linked from the Census and pertain to
reference year 2020. Likewise, the 2017 CSD provides income and poverty data
for reference year 2015. The circumstances brought about by COVID-19 in 2020
must be kept in mind when comparing the two periods.
3.1 Median personal income
Median income of persons with more severe disabilities is one-third less
than that of those without disabilities
Among working-age adults (persons aged 25 to 64 years), median personal after-tax incomeNote (hereafter median
income) differed by both disability status and severity. Those without
disabilities had a higher median income ($46,080) than persons with
disabilities ($38,810). Those with milder disabilities ($44,210) had a higher
median income than persons with more severe disabilities ($30,590) (Chart 3.1; Table 3.1). The median income of those with more
severe disabilities was over 30 percent less than that of those without
disabilities.
Data table for Chart 3.1
| Disability status / severity | 25 to 64 years | 65 years and over | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollars | 95% confidence interval | Dollars | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 38,810Note * | 37,760 | 40,570 | 29,720Note * | 29,090 | 30,860 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 44,210Note * | 42,760 | 45,390 | 32,370 | 30,590 | 33,760 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 30,590Note * Data table for chart 3.1 Note † | 29,930 | 32,580 | 27,920Note * Data table for chart 3.1 Note † | 26,530 | 28,880 |
| Persons without disabilities | 46,080 | 45,720 | 46,430 | 33,430 | 32,830 | 34,050 |
Among seniors, persons aged
65 years and over, differences in median income by disability status and
severity existed – but to a lesser extent than among those of working-age.
Seniors with no disabilities had a higher median income ($33,430) than seniors
with disabilities ($29,720). When considering severity of disability, the
median income of seniors with milder disabilities ($32,370) was higher than
that of persons with more severe disabilities ($27,920), but comparable to that
of seniors without disabilities.
Consistent with findings for
persons without disabilities, seniors with disabilities had a lower median income
than working-age persons with disabilities. This was the case for both seniors with milder and
more severe disabilities.
Women have lower levels of income than men
The gender gap in income in
the general population has been well-documented over the years (Drolet and
Amini, 2023; Bonikowska et al., 2019, and Fox and Moyser, 2018). Among
individuals aged 25 to 64 years, the income gap between women and men was
significant among those without disabilities as well as those with disabilities
(Chart 3.2; Table 3.1). The median income of women with
disabilities ($37,010) was 11% less than men with disabilities ($41,580).
Among those with milder disabilities, the median income of women ($41,960) was
12% less than men ($47,870). Among those with more severe disabilities, no
significant differences were found in median income between women and men.
Among those without disabilities, the median income of women ($42,430) was 16%
less than men ($50,260).
Among seniors aged 65 years
and over, women with disabilities had a median income that was 25% less than
men with disabilities ($26,480 versus $35,210). Among seniors with milder
disabilities, the gender gap in income was slightly larger, with women’s median
income being 28% less than that of men ($27,300 versus $38,080). Among seniors
with more severe disabilities, the gender gap in income was slightly smaller,
with women’s median income being 19% less than that of men ($26,030 versus
$32,090).
Among persons with milder
disabilities, the difference in median income between seniors and working-age
adults was greater among women ($14,660) than men ($9,790). Among those with more
severe disabilities, differences in median income between seniors and
working-age adults were not as large among women ($4,490), and were not
significant among men.
Data table for Chart 3.2
| Age group and disability status / severity | Women+ | Men+ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollars | 95% confidence interval | Dollars | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| 25 to 64 years | ||||||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 37,010Note * | 35,780 | 38,300 | 41,580 | 39,520 | 43,060 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 41,960Note * | 40,850 | 43,560 | 47,870 | 43,930 | 51,470 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 30,510 | 29,600 | 34,260 | 30,760 | 28,860 | 33,570 |
| Persons without disabilities | 42,430Note * | 41,910 | 42,820 | 50,260 | 49,750 | 50,740 |
| 65 years and over | ||||||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 26,480Note * | 25,310 | 27,760 | 35,210 | 33,950 | 37,820 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 27,300Note * | 25,620 | 28,280 | 38,080 | 34,170 | 39,080 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities |
26,030Note * | 25,220 | 26,640 | 32,090 | 29,900 | 36,710 |
| Persons without disabilities | 28,290Note * | 27,410 | 29,110 | 39,710 | 38,630 | 40,620 |
Median personal income increased between 2015 and 2020
Between 2015 and 2020,
median after-tax personal income (expressed in 2020 constant dollars)
increased for persons with and without disabilities, regardless of age or gender.
These increases were greatest among women with disabilities aged 25 to 64 years (+33%), women with disabilities aged 65 years and over (+17%), and men with disabilities aged 25 to 64 years (+17%) (Chart 3.3; Table 3.1).
Data table for Chart 3.3
| Disability status, age group and gender | 2015 | 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 constant dollars | 95% confidence interval | 2020 constant dollars | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Persons with disabilities | ||||||
| 25 to 64 years | ||||||
| Women+ | 27,840 | 25,740 | 29,380 | 37,010Note * | 35,780 | 38,300 |
| Men+ | 35,680 | 33,040 | 37,090 | 41,580Note * | 39,520 | 43,060 |
| 65 years and over | ||||||
| Women+ | 22,590 | 21,480 | 23,630 | 26,480Note * | 25,310 | 27,760 |
| Men+ | 32,180 | 29,550 | 34,490 | 35,210Note * | 33,950 | 37,820 |
| Persons without disabilities | ||||||
| 25 to 64 years | ||||||
| Women+ | 37,870 | 37,330 | 38,580 | 42,430Note * | 41,910 | 42,820 |
| Men+ | 48,360 | 47,530 | 48,870 | 50,260Note * | 49,750 | 50,740 |
| 65 years and over | ||||||
| Women+ | 25,170 | 24,650 | 25,550 | 28,290Note * | 27,410 | 29,110 |
| Men+ | 37,270 | 36,060 | 38,010 | 39,710Note * | 38,630 | 40,620 |
Employed persons with more severe disabilities still have incomes that fall
short of those without disabilities
As mentioned above, persons
with disabilities exhibited lower median personal incomes than their counterparts
without disabilities. The fact that persons with disabilities had lower
employment rates than those without disabilities, as shown in Section 2, is
likely a key contributing factor to differences in median income between these
populations. This raises a question: for persons with disabilities who are
employed, does working help close the income gap between them and those without
disabilities?
Persons with and without
disabilities aged 25 to 64 years who were employed for some or all of 2020 had
a median personal income more than two-times the amount of their counterparts
who were not employed (Chart 3.4; Table 3.2). This pattern was consistent
regardless of disability severity. Among employed persons, those without
disabilities and those with milder disabilities had similar median incomes ($50,140
and $49,100, respectively), higher than that of persons with more severe
disabilities ($42,290).
When limiting the analysis to
those who were employed full-time for at least 49 weeks in 2020
(full-year, full-time), median income for persons with milder disabilities was
higher than for those with no disabilities ($60,070 versus $58,530). Notably,
this result is in contrast to previous findings, which showed that among those who
were employed full-time and worked at least 49 weeks in 2015, persons without
disabilities had higher median income than those with milder disabilities
(Morris et al., 2018). The median
income of full-year, full-time workers with more severe disabilities was 88% of
workers with milder disabilities in 2020 ($52,900 versus $60,070), which aligns
with previous findings.
Data table for Chart 3.4
| Disability status / severity | Not employed | Employed | Employed full-time, full-year | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollars | 95% confidence interval | Dollars | 95% confidence interval | Dollars | 95% confidence interval | ||||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | lower | upper | ||||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 18,980Note * | 18,000 | 19,890 | 46,950Note * | 46,190 | 48,560 | 58,920 | 57,140 | 59,590 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 19,230Note * | 18,400 | 20,630 | 49,100 | 47,780 | 50,490 | 60,070Note * | 59,040 | 60,730 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 18,730Note * | 18,330 | 19,710 | 42,290Note * Data table for chart 3.4 Note † | 40,830 | 43,780 | 52,900Note * Data table for chart 3.4 Note † | 50,950 | 54,530 |
| Persons without disabilities | 22,960 | 22,290 | 23,860 | 50,140 | 49,670 | 50,540 | 58,530 | 58,030 | 59,140 |
The largest percentage increase in median personal income between 2015 and
2020 occurred among non-employed
Between 2015 and 2020, the
median after-tax personal income of all adults aged 25 to 64 increased,
irrespective of disability status. This increase was observed among persons
not employed, as well as those employed and those employed full-year, full-time
(Chart 3.5;
Table 3.2).
Notably, the largest percentage increase was observed within the not employed
group, where the median personal income among persons without disabilities rose
by more than 60% (from $14,020 in 2015 to $22,960 in 2020) and by almost 40%
for persons with disabilities (from $13,740 to $18,980). Similarly, median
income among persons with milder disabilities increased by 35% (from $14,230 to
$19,230), while it increased by 38% (from $13,560 to $18,730) for those with
more severe disabilities.
The increase in median income
between 2015 and 2020 among all groups, particularly among persons not
employed, can be partially attributed to the extraordinary circumstances
brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addressing the economic challenges
of the pandemic, the Government of Canada allocated billions of dollars to
implement diverse temporary measures, focusing primarily on income replacement for individuals who were unable to work due to the
pandemic (Statistics Canada, 2022). Note that the
extent to which temporary income supports contributed to the changes in median
income for persons with and without disabilities between 2015 and 2020 is still
being evaluated.
Data table for Chart 3.5
| Work activity and disability status / severity | 2015 | 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 constant dollars | 95% confidence interval | 2020 constant dollars | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Not employed | ||||||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 13,740 | 13,200 | 14,450 | 18,980Note * | 18,000 | 19,890 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 14,230 | 12,580 | 14,650 | 19,230Note * | 18,400 | 20,630 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 13,560 | 13,500 | 14,580 | 18,730Note * | 18,330 | 19,710 |
| Persons without disabilities | 14,020 | 13,430 | 15,270 | 22,960Note * | 22,290 | 23,860 |
| Employed | ||||||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 40,790 | 39,480 | 41,550 | 46,950Note * | 46,190 | 48,560 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 42,910 | 41,600 | 44,770 | 49,100Note * | 47,780 | 50,490 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 34,630 | 31,540 | 36,430 | 42,290Note * | 40,830 | 43,780 |
| Persons without disabilities | 45,910 | 45,520 | 46,470 | 50,140Note * | 49,670 | 50,540 |
| Employed full-year, full-time | ||||||
| Total, persons with disabilities | 49,700 | 48,910 | 51,980 | 58,920Note * | 57,140 | 59,590 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | 51,210 | 49,530 | 52,530 | 60,070Note * | 59,040 | 60,730 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | 45,130 | 39,970 | 46,970 | 52,900Note * | 50,950 | 54,530 |
| Persons without disabilities | 53,500 | 52,940 | 54,280 | 58,530Note * | 58,030 | 59,140 |
3.2 Poverty
Persons with
disabilities are less likely to experience financial security and more likely
to live in poverty than persons without disabilities (Scott et al., 2022;
Maroto and Pettinicchio, 2020). This section provides information regarding the
extent of poverty among persons with and without disabilities using the Market
Basket Measure (MBM) (Text box 6). In 2020, 10% of persons with disabilities
aged 15 years and over lived in poverty compared to 7% of their counterparts
without disabilities (Table 3.3.A).
Start of text box
Canada’s official poverty line
The Market Basket Measure (MBM) is
Canada’s official measure of poverty since 2018. The measure establishes
poverty thresholds based on the cost of a specific “basket” of goods and
services representing a modest, basic standard of living (food, clothing, shelter,
transportation and other items) for a given region and family size.Note The
disposable income of a family is then compared against its threshold to
determine whether the family is “at or above” versus “below.” Individuals in a
family living below the threshold are considered to be living in poverty.Note
Reviews and updates to the MBM are
required on a regular basis to ensure that the measure continues to reflect
basic living standards over time, and that key parameters are sourced using the
latest available data and methods. The most recent methodology for the MBM is
the 2018-base MBM, which replaced the previously used 2008-base MBM. The
2018-base MBM included important updates to the shelter, clothing, food, and
transportation components of the MBM basket, as well as changes to tenure type
adjustment, medical expenses, and treatment of capital gains (Djidel et al.,
2020).
The implication of these changes to
the MBM methodology is that thresholds for low-income using the 2018-base MBM
are higher than those of the 2008-base MBM. As such, poverty rates using the
2018-base MBM will be higher than those using the 2008-base MBM even in
instances where family income remains unchanged. For example, Djidel et al.
(2020) estimates that the percentage of persons living in poverty Canada-wide
increased in 2018 from 8.7% (2008-base MBM) to 11.0% (2018-base MBM).
For the purpose of this paper, the
poverty rates are estimated using the 2018-base MBM for both the 2017 and 2022
CSD cycles. Please note that in the previous report entitled “A demographic,
employment and income profile of Canadians with disabilities aged 15 years and
over, 2017” (Morris et al., 2018), the poverty rates were estimated using
the 2008-base MBM and therefore these numbers are not comparable to the
estimates presented here.
End of text box
Working-age adults with more severe disabilities are more than twice as
likely to live in poverty as those without disabilities and those with
milder disabilities
The poverty rate
among persons with disabilities aged 25 to 64 years was 12% in 2020, compared
to 7% among those without disabilities. Persons with more severe disabilities
(18%) were more likely to be living below Canada’s official poverty line than
those with milder disabilities (8%) (Chart 3.6; Table 3.3.A). As such, the poverty rate for working-age
adults with more severe disabilities was more than double that of working-age
adults with either milder disabilities or without disabilities.
Youth are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as seniors,
regardless of disability severity
Persons with
disabilities aged 15 to 24 years had a poverty rate of 12% in 2020, similar to
their counterparts without disabilities. Youth with more severe disabilities
had a higher rate (15%) than those with milder disabilities (10%). The poverty
rate among youth with disabilities (12%) was more than double that of seniors with
disabilities (5%). A similar pattern was observed for
youth and seniors without disabilities (Chart 3.6; Table 3.3.A).
In general, women with disabilities aged 15 years and over were as likely as men to live in poverty in 2020. Among persons with milder disabilities aged 25 to 64 years however, men had a slightly higher poverty rate than women (9% versus 7%) (Table 3.3.A).
Data table for Chart 3.6
| Disability status and age group | 2015 | 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% confidence interval | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |||
| lower | upper | lower | upper | |||
| Persons with disabilities | ||||||
| 15 to 24 years | 25.8 | 23.3 | 28.4 | 11.8Note * | 10.3 | 13.4 |
| 25 to 64 years | 21.9 | 20.6 | 23.2 | 11.7Note * | 10.7 | 12.7 |
| 65 years and over | 9.5 | 8.5 | 10.7 | 5.1Note * | 4.3 | 6.0 |
| Persons without disabilities | ||||||
| 15 to 24 years | 18.8 | 18.1 | 19.6 | 11.9Note * | 11.3 | 12.5 |
| 25 to 64 years | 11.6 | 11.2 | 12.0 | 7.1Note * | 6.8 | 7.4 |
| 65 years and over | 6.9 | 6.3 | 7.4 | 3.9Note * | 3.5 | 4.3 |
The poverty rate decreased between 2015 and 2020
Between 2015 and 2020, the
poverty rate among persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over in Canada decreased
from 18% to 10%. Among those without disabilities, the rate decreased from 12%
to 7% (Chart 3.6;
Table 3.3.A).
Among individuals aged 15 to 24 years without disabilities, the poverty rate
decreased from 19% in 2015 to 12% in 2020. Similar changes were observed within
the same age category for persons with milder disabilities (24% versus 10%) and
more severe disabilities (30% versus 15%) between 2015 and 2020. Extending our
analysis to individuals aged 25 to 64 and those 65 years and over reveals
additional evidence of an overall reduction in poverty among both persons with
and without disabilities.
It is important to
acknowledge that the reduction of the poverty rates for persons with and
without disabilities between 2015 and 2020 is likely related to the financial
assistance provided by the Government of Canada to support Canadians affected by
the COVID-19 pandemic (Statistics Canada, 2022).
Lone parents and those living alone remain at greater risk of living in
poverty
Household living arrangements
describe key family structures—and, in particular, the respondent’s place
within that structure—for people living within the same household. In general,
certain family structures, such as lone parent households and those living
alone, have higher risks of living in poverty (Notten et al., 2023; The Daily,
2023b; and Raphael, 2020). As such, the discussion below focuses on the risk of
poverty among individuals aged 15 to 64 years living in different household and
family structures, and whether the presence of disability increases this risk
further.
In 2020, and consistent with findings in the previous CSD, the lowest poverty rates among persons with disabilities were among individuals who were either part of a couple (with or without children) or who were living with parent(s) or guardian(s) as an adult child. However, among individuals who were part of a couple without children, those with more severe disabilities had a poverty rate of 9%, about twice as much as their counterparts with milder disabilities or no disabilities (Chart 3.7; Table 3.4.A).
Lone parentsNote or those living alone were at the greatest risk of living in poverty. Among those without disabilities, the poverty rate among lone parents was three times higher than that of those in couples without children (13% versus 4%). However, the impact of lone parenthood was greater for those with disabilities (18% of lone parents with disabilities were living below the poverty line), and this was further compounded by severity—23% of lone parents with more severe disabilities were living below the poverty line. It is important to note that close to nine in ten lone parents with disabilities (85%) were women, while among those without disabilities, close to eight in ten lone parents (75%) were women.
Data table for Chart 3.7
| Disability status / severity and household living arrangement | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |
|---|---|---|---|
| lower | upper | ||
| Total, persons with disabilities | |||
| Part of couple, no children | 6.0Note * | 4.7 | 7.7 |
| Part of couple, with children | 3.3 | 2.4 | 4.6 |
| Lone parent | 18.4Note * | 14.5 | 23.1 |
| Living with parent(s) | 4.8 | 3.7 | 6.1 |
| Living alone | 28.0Note * | 25.0 | 31.3 |
| Persons with milder disabilities | |||
| Part of couple, no children | 4.5 | 3.1 | 6.4 |
| Part of couple, with children | 2.5Note * | 1.6 | 3.9 |
| Lone parent | 14.1 | 10.0 | 19.6 |
| Living with parent(s) | 3.9 | 2.9 | 5.3 |
| Living alone | 18.4 | 15.2 | 22.0 |
| Persons with more severe disabilities | |||
| Part of couple, no children | 9.2Note * Data table for chart 3.7 Note † | 6.6 | 12.5 |
| Part of couple, with children | 5.0 | 3.1 | 8.0 |
| Lone parent | 22.7Note * | 16.4 | 30.4 |
| Living with parent(s) | 6.2 | 4.2 | 8.9 |
| Living alone | 42.1Note * Data table for chart 3.7 Note † | 36.9 | 47.5 |
| Persons without disabilities | |||
| Part of couple, no children | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.8 |
| Part of couple, with children | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.6 |
| Lone parent | 13.3 | 11.7 | 15.1 |
| Living with parent(s) | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
| Living alone | 17.9 | 16.6 | 19.3 |
Two in five of those living alone with more severe disabilities are living
in poverty
Among persons
aged 15 to 64 years with disabilities, the rate of poverty of those living
alone was more than four times higher than that of persons who were part of a
couple without children (28% versus 6%) (Chart 3.7; Table 3.4.A). A similar pattern was observed among persons
without disabilities (18% versus 4%). Among those with milder disabilities the
rate of poverty for those living alone was more than three times higher than
that of those of those who were part of a couple without children (18% versus
5%). Those with more severe disabilities who were living alone had the highest
rate of poverty of any group examined, with about two in five living below
Canada’s official poverty line (42%).
Between 2015 and 2020, the
poverty rate generally decreased among persons with disabilities aged 15 to 64
years, irrespective of their household living arrangements. This was also the
case among persons without disabilities. Among persons with disabilities, the
largest percentage point decreases occurred for lone parents (from 40% in 2015
to 18% in 2020), and individuals living alone (from 47% to 28%) (Table 3.4.A). As an exception to the
overall pattern, the poverty rate of persons with milder disabilities who were
part of a couple with no children did not change significantly between 2015 and
2020.
3.3 Unmet needs for disability supports due to cost
Cost is the primary reason behind unmet needs for aids, devices,
or healthcare services
The CSD asks several
questions regarding needs for various disability supports, including personal
aids and devices (e.g., canes, walkers, specialized software, or architectural
features in the home such as widened doorways and ramps), prescription
medication, as well as access to healthcare services (e.g., counselling
services, physiotherapy; see Text box 7).Note
In 2022, 56% of persons with
disabilities, nearly 4.5 million people, reported at least one unmet need when
it comes to either aids, devices, medication or healthcare services.
Three-quarters (73%) of persons with unmet needs (or 3.2 million) cited cost as
the reason for those unmet needs.
About 2.3 million persons
(29% of persons with disabilities) had unmet needs due to cost for healthcare
services. Similarly, 1.2 million had unmet needs due to cost for aids and
devices (16%), and one million indicated unmet needs due to cost for
prescription medication (13%) (Table 3.5.A; Table 3.5B).
Start of text box
Unmet need for disability supports due to cost
“Unmet need
due to cost” refers to instances in which persons with disabilities need but do
not have at least one type of disability support (such as an aid, medication,
or healthcare service) due to cost. As was done in 2017, the 2022 CSD first
asked a series of questions on both the need for and use of various disability
supports, including personal aids and devices (e.g., canes, walkers,
specialized software, or architectural features in the home such as widened
doorways and ramps), as well as access to healthcare
services (e.g., counselling services and physiotherapy).
Where
persons with disabilities identified a specific disability support that they need
but do not have, the 2022 CSD asked respondents to choose from a list of possible
reasons why the need was unmet such as “cost” or “not available”. If “cost” was
selected as one of the reasons for not having at least one disability
support they need but do not have then they were counted as having an
“unmet need due to cost”.
It is important to note that the questions about prescription medication did not follow this format. Instead, respondents were asked whether they had been unable to get prescription medications because of the cost, or they had taken medication less often than they were supposed to due to cost, at any time in the previous 12 months.
Note on
comparability between 2017 and 2022
The list of
disability supports was expanded in the 2022 CSD to include additional aids and
devices not covered in the 2017 CSD. New questions about reasons for unmet
needs for healthcare services were also included in the 2022 CSD. Because of
these changes, an analysis of differences in unmet needs between 2017 and 2022
has not been undertaken.
End of text box
Women are more likely to report unmet needs due to cost
Women with disabilities were
more likely than men to indicate unmet needs due to cost for health care
services (34% versus 22%) and prescription medication (14% versus 10%).
Overall, almost half (45%) of women with disabilities reported unmet needs due
to cost for either aids, devices, medications, or healthcare services, compared
to a third (35%) of men (Chart 3.8; Table 3.5.A).
Data table for Chart 3.8
| Gender and type of unmet need | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |
|---|---|---|---|
| lower | upper | ||
| Total, all genders | |||
| Assistive aids, devices or technologies | 15.5 | 14.7 | 16.3 |
| Prescription medication | 12.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 |
| Health care therapies and services | 29.1 | 28.2 | 30.1 |
| TotalData table for chart 3.8 Note 1 | 40.7 | 39.6 | 41.7 |
| Women+ | |||
| Assistive aids, devices or technologies | 16.0 | 15.0 | 17.1 |
| Prescription medication | 14.2Note * | 13.2 | 15.3 |
| Health care therapies and services | 34.3Note * | 33.0 | 35.6 |
| TotalData table for chart 3.8 Note 1 | 45.4Note * | 44.0 | 46.8 |
| Men+ | |||
| Assistive aids, devices or technologies | 14.7 | 13.7 | 15.9 |
| Prescription medication | 10.4 | 9.4 | 11.5 |
| Health care therapies and services | 22.3 | 21.0 | 23.8 |
| TotalData table for chart 3.8 Note 1 | 34.5 | 33.0 | 36.1 |
Age and severity impact the ability to afford aids, medication and
healthcare services
Among persons with
disabilities aged 15 to 64 years, 46% (or 2.5 million) had at least one unmet
need for an aid, device, prescription medication, and/or healthcare service due
to cost. This compares to 30% (or 758,610) among seniors with disabilities aged
65 years and over (Chart 3.9). When broken down by type of disability support, around one
in six seniors and non-seniors with disabilities had at least one unmet need
for aids or devices due to cost. However, non-seniors were twice as likely as
seniors to report unmet needs due to cost when it comes to either prescription
medication (15% versus 7%) or healthcare services (35% versus 17%) (Table 3.5.A).
Severity of disability also had an
impact on the likelihood of having unmet needs due to cost for disability
supports. Among persons with milder disabilities, 32% had at least one unmet
need for an aid, device, prescription medication, and/or healthcare service due
to cost. This proportion increased to 53% among persons with more severe
disabilities. When broken down by type of disability support, persons with more
severe disabilities were more likely to report unmet needs due to cost in each
instance compared to those with milder disabilities. For example, persons with
more severe disabilities (26%) were three times more likely to have unmet needs
for aids or devices due to cost than those with milder disabilities (8%).
Data table for Chart 3.9
| Selected characteristics | Percent | 95% confidence interval | |
|---|---|---|---|
| lower | upper | ||
| Disability severity | |||
| MilderData table for chart 3.9 Note † | 32.2 | 30.8 | 33.5 |
| More severe | 52.8Note * | 51.1 | 54.5 |
| Age group | |||
| 15 to 64 yearsData table for chart 3.9 Note † | 45.5 | 44.2 | 46.8 |
| 65 years and over | 30.2Note * | 28.4 | 32.0 |
| Poverty status | |||
| Not in povertyData table for chart 3.9 Note † | 39.4 | 38.3 | 40.5 |
| In poverty | 53.0Note * | 49.2 | 56.7 |
Two in five of those living above the poverty line still cannot afford all
required aids, medication and healthcare services
One in two (53%) persons with
disabilities aged 15 years and over who were living below Canada’s official
poverty line had at least one unmet need for an aid, device, prescription
medication, and/or healthcare service due to cost (Chart 3.9; Table 3.5.A). However, while unmet needs
due to cost were lower for those living above Canada’s official poverty line, two
in five (39%) still reported at least one unmet need due to cost.
Conclusion
This
article provides a broad picture of key insights from the
2022 CSD regarding the demographics, employment, and income
characteristics of persons with disabilities, with comparisons to persons
without disabilities. This study also provides information on unmet needs for
various disability supports due to cost among persons with disabilities
including aids and devices, prescription medication, and access to healthcare
services. This also marks the first time that – where applicable – comparisons
can be made between two cycles of the CSD to highlight important changes over
time. Among these insights, several themes emerge in key areas.
Prevalence of disability
The overall
rate of disability among Canadians aged 15 years and older increased from 22%
to 27% between 2017 and 2022. The disability rate increased during this period
for most age groups, except for seniors aged 75 years and over. The largest
percentage-point increase occurred among youth aged 15 to 24 followed by adults
aged 25 to 44, and 45 to 64 years. The
increase in the overall disability rate can be attributed to several factors
including a larger representation of seniors in the total population in 2022
due to population aging (seniors have higher disability rates than non-seniors)
as well as an increase in disability rates – particularly mental health-related
disabilities – among younger persons.
The
distribution of the number of co-occurring disability types in 2022 mirrored
that of 2017, both in the overall population of persons with disabilities, and
when analyzed by gender or age groups.
Prevalence of mental health-related disabilities
While disability rates increased from 2017 to 2022 for all disability types,
the largest increase belonged to mental health-related disabilities. This
aligns with previous findings related to mental health indicating that the
proportion of people reporting very good or excellent mental health has been
declining over the past several years (The Daily, 2023c).
While the
overall rate of mental health-related disability increased between 2017 and
2022, the change was not uniform across age groups. The rise in mental
health-related disabilities was most pronounced among youth aged 15 to 24,
followed by adults aged 25 to 44. Among adults aged 45 to 64 there was a less
pronounced increase in the mental health-related disability rate, and for
seniors aged 65 years and over the increase was not statistically significant. This
reinforces the 2017 CSD finding that youth with disabilities have a somewhat
different profile compared to working-age adults and seniors with disabilities
(Morris et al., 2018).
Employment
Among persons with
disabilities aged 25 to 64 years, the employment rate increased between 2016
and 2021. However, among persons without disabilities, the employment rate
decreased during the same time-period. These findings
are consistent with recent Labour Force Survey (LFS) data on the employment
experiences of persons with disabilities (The Daily, 2023d).
Despite the
increase in the employment rate of working-age adults with disabilities (aged
25 to 64) from 2016 to 2021, they were still less likely to be employed in 2021
than their counterparts without disabilities.Note
Median personal income, poverty and unmet needs for disability supports
Between 2015 and 2020, median personal
after-tax income increased for both persons with and without disabilities. This holds true for working-age adults aged 25 to 64 and
seniors aged 65 years and over, regardless of their disability status. Poverty rates also decreased significantly among Canadians with and without
disabilities aged 15 years and over during this period. These findings align
with recent data from the 2021 Census of Population which also showed a
decrease in the poverty rate among the general population (Statistics Canada,
2021).
It is
important to note that the higher incomes and lower
poverty rates observed among persons with and without disabilities in 2020,
relative to 2015, can be partially attributed to the exceptional circumstances brought
about by COVID-19. Most notably, during the pandemic, the Government of Canada introduced
emergency financial support measures for Canadians who were negatively impacted
(Government of Canada, 2022b). Most of the pandemic relief
benefits, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), were temporary
and focused on income replacement for individuals who were not able to work
because of individual COVID-19 health impacts or the related public health measures
(The Daily, 2022; Government of Canada, 2022b; Statistics Canada, 2022;
Morissette et al., 2021).
Most of these COVID-19 income support programs ended by fall 2021 (the CERB
ended in September 2020 and the Canada Recovery Benefit in October 2021)
(Statistics Canada, 2021). Results from the Canadian Income
Survey indicate that the poverty rates increased in 2021 relative to 2020 among
persons with disabilities and among the general population, although they
remained lower than before the pandemic (The Daily, 2023b).
Finally, this study revealed that more than half of Canadians with disabilities had at least one unmet need for disability supports, including aids and devices, prescription medication, and access to healthcare services in 2022. Cost was reported as the primary reason behind many unmet needs. Women, youth, persons with more severe disabilities and persons living below Canada’s official poverty line had the highest rates of unmet needs due to cost. Even among persons with disabilities who lived above the poverty line, two in five were unable to afford at least one type of disability support that they required due to cost.
Future research
There are a
number of gaps in our knowledge around factors associated with the changes between
2017 and 2022 mentioned in this report that would benefit from further research. For example, while this report revealed
an increase in the prevalence of all disability types – in particular mental
health-related disabilities –, examining the reasons behind these changes was
beyond its scope. In this case, future research could investigate the factors
associated with having mental health-related disabilities, and whether these
factors changed between 2017 and 2022.
Similarly, the rise in the employment rate among persons with disabilities
during this period is yet to be fully understood. Examining the changes in
labour force composition, including the extent to which changes in employment
among persons with disabilities were a result of new entrants to the work force,
as well as changes in the prevalence of disabilities among those already
employed could contribute to the understanding of the labour force outcomes for
persons with disabilities.
Finally, examining income sources over time could support a deeper
understanding of the variations in income and poverty among Canadians with
disabilities highlighted in this report. Future research could include investigating
the extent to which financial assistance provided to Canadians during the
COVID-19 pandemic contributed – among other factors – to the increase in income
and the decrease in poverty observed in 2020.
Detailed data tables
Table 1.1.A Persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by age group and gender, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.1.B Persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by age group and gender, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.2.A Disability severity among persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by age group and gender, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.2.B Disability severity among persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by age group and gender, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.3.A Persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by gender and disability type, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.3.B Persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by gender and disability type, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.4.A Persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by age group and disability type, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.4.B Persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by age group and disability type, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.5.A Persons with mental health-related disabilities aged 15 years and over, by age group and gender, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.5.B Persons with mental health-related disabilities aged 15 years and over, by age group and gender, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.6.A Number of disabilities among persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by age group and gender, 2017 and 2022
Table 1.6.B Number of disabilities among persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by age group and gender, 2017 and 2022
Table 2.1.A Employment among persons aged 25 to 64 years, by disability status and severity, 2016 and 2021
Table 2.1.B Employment among persons aged 25 to 64 years, by disability status and severity, 2016 and 2021
Table 2.2.A Employment among persons aged 25 to 64 years, by disability status / severity, age group, and gender, 2021
Table 2.2.B Employment among persons aged 25 to 64 years, by disability status / severity, age group, and gender, 2021
Table 2.3.A Employment among persons aged 25 to 64 years, by disability status / severity, highest level of education, and gender, 2021
Table 2.3.B Employment among persons aged 25 to 64 years, by disability status / severity, highest level of education, and gender, 2021
Table 2.4.A Hours worked among persons aged 25 to 64 years, by disability status / severity and gender, 2021
Table 2.4.B Hours worked among persons aged 25 to 64 years, by disability status / severity and gender, 2021
Table 2.5.A School enrolment / employment status among youth with disabilities aged 15 to 24 years, by disability severity and gender, 2022
Table 2.5.B School enrolment / employment status among youth with disabilities aged 15 to 24 years, by disability severity and gender, 2022
Table 3.1 Median after-tax income of individuals aged 25 years and over, by disability status / severity, age group and gender, 2015 and 2020
Table 3.2 Median after-tax income of individuals aged 25 to 64 years, by disability status / severity and work activity, 2015 and 2020
Table 3.3.A Individual Market Basket Measure poverty rate among persons aged 15 years and over, by disability status / severity, age group and gender, 2015 and 2020
Table 3.3.B Individual Market Basket Measure poverty rate among persons aged 15 years and over, by disability status / severity, age group and gender, 2015 and 2020
Table 3.4.A Individual Market Basket Measure poverty rate among persons aged 15 to 64 years, by disability status / severity and selected household living arrangements, 2015 and 2020
Table 3.4.B Individual Market Basket Measure poverty rate among persons aged 15 to 64 years, by disability status / severity and selected household living arrangements, 2015 and 2020
Table 3.5.A Unmet needs due to cost for assistive aids, devices or technologies, medication, or healthcare services among persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by selected characteristics, 2022
Table 3.5.B Unmet needs due to cost for assistive aids, devices or technologies, medication, or healthcare services among persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over, by selected characteristics, 2022
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