Census 2021 - Disability in East Sussex briefing
his briefing provides insights into disability prevalence and lived experience of disabled residents in East Sussex, as recorded by the 2021 Census.
Key Findings
- 8% of all residents under 15 years were disabled, compared to 18% of those aged 15 to 64 years, and 33% of those aged 65 years and above.
- 63% of disabled residents under the age of 15 were male, but a notable increase in the proportion of disabled females between the ages of 10 and 20 years meant that only 48% of residents aged 15 to 20 years were male.
- Between ages 20 and 43, there was little change in disability rates for both sexes, after which, rates started to rise steadily until around retirement age, when they began to level out again. Rates then began to rise sharply after the age of 73 years. Given that the last of the postwar baby boomer generation (born 1946-1954) is due to turn 70 in 2024, this will likely put increased pressure on health services over the next few years.
- 44% of disabled residents were in some form of paid employment on census day, compared to 78.2% of non-disabled residents.
- There was a noticeable employment gap when looking at residents with Level 4 qualifications, with disabled residents more likely to be working in routine roles and less likely to hold managerial posts compared to their non-disabled counterparts.
- Disabled people were less likely to own their own home than non-disabled people of the same age and were more likely to live in social rented accommodation.
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More details can be found on East Sussex in Figures