By disability status, 2018 Census, % of people where information available
The following information applies to all values in the table.
Census Year: 2018, Subject population: Census usually resident population aged 5 years and over, Grouping variable: Total, Category: Total
Use an alternative source for this data if possible, or be very careful using the data. This data was rated poor quality by Stats NZ. Look for other datasets to use instead, or to help check your assumptions if possible. Otherwise, read the warnings and response rate metadata below before using.
Stats NZ gives data an overall rating based on sources and coverage, consistency, and data quality.
Why am I seeing this?
This data is from the 2018 Census. The 2018 Census had low response rates, particularly for some areas of New Zealand and groups of people. Read more about this on Stats NZ's website.
Where information was missing or unreadable, Stats NZ attempted to use data from a range of places such as the 2013 census or administrative data that is collected by other government agencies. If that isn't available, Stats NZ use statistical models to predict what the missing data would have been. This is called imputation.
Things to be aware of
The early March timing of the census may reduce reports of dampness and increase responses of ‘don’t know’ by respondents who have moved recently and have not yet experienced a winter in their current home.
This data does not provide any indication of housing quality issues with boarding houses or other types of non-private dwellings in which people may live.
Dwelling dampness indicator indicates whether an occupied private dwelling is not damp (dry throughout) or the degree to which it is damp, sometimes damp, or always damp. Dampness is defined as when a dwelling feels or smells damp or has damp patches on the wall, ceiling, floor or window frames.
The information collected in this question is a self-evaluated assessment of whether the home is always damp, sometimes damp, or not damp.
Response rates and final data sources
Dwelling dampness indicator:
The response rate from 2018 Census forms was 92.0%. There was no information for 8.0% of homes. No alternative data source or imputation was used to replace missing responses.
Disability status:
The response rate from 2018 Census forms only was 84%. There was no information for 16% of individuals.
Definitions
A person is regarded as disabled if they have 'a lot of difficulty' or 'cannot do at all' one or more of the six activities in the Activity limitations questions. These six questions are the Washington Group Short Set of questions on Disability and are referred to as Activity limitations in the 2018 Census.
The questions ask whether people have difficulty performing any of six basic universal activities (walking, seeing, hearing, cognition, self-care, and communication) and were designed for use with the general population. The questions were not designed to measure all domains of functioning with which people may have difficulty, but rather those domains that are likely to identify a majority of people at risk of participation restrictions.
Disability status is derived from six activity questions:
- difficulty seeing
- difficulty hearing
- difficulty walking or climbing steps
- difficulty remembering or concentrating
- difficulty washing all over or dressing
- difficulty communicating.
Data calculation/treatment
Figure.NZ calculated percentages based on the 'Total stated' values for each variable. Individual percentages may not sum to 100% and values for the same data may vary in different tables.
Geographically the census includes the North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands, plus largely uninhabited islands including the Kermadec Islands, Three Kings Islands, Mayor Island, Motiti Island, White Island, Moutohora Island, Bounty Islands, Snares Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, and Campbell Island.
Exclusions
This data excludes children under the age of 5.
Changes to data collection/processing
The 2018 Census was a modernised census based on models used in 2016 by the Canadian and Australian statistical agencies and then applied in the New Zealand context. Stats NZ collaborated with census experts from both countries when designing the model.
Under the new model, how Stats NZ enabled/collected from the respondents changed from predominately field-based activities to 80 percent mail-out with a reduced field presence and increased communications, marketing and engagement. The way respondents completed their forms also changed, with a greater focus on online completion over paper. The majority of the population was encouraged to complete the census online using an internet access code mailed to their households before census night. The new collection model therefore relied on the public to self-respond, rather than wait for a visit from field staff. Field follow-up activities were also planned.
The main areas of change were:
- phasing the model (prepare, enable, remind and visit)
- strategies used across the different phases
- mailing out “call to action” letters with an internet access code and instructions on how to order paper forms, if required, as the first interaction with census
- reducing the number of field staff, with a new structure and roles
- outsourcing the recruitment functions for field staff
- introducing new field technology
- creating a new address frame (a list of all dwellings in New Zealand)
- an integrated communications campaign including community engagement
- a new approach to processing the census data.
Measuring inequality for disabled New Zealanders: 2018 brings together data from three Stats NZ surveys to explore differences between the lives of disabled and non-disabled people in Aotearoa.
The goal of government policy and international agreements about disability is the improvement of disabled people’s lives. Monitoring the difference between disabled and non-disabled people in a consistent way, and over a wide range of outcomes, is a key step towards achieving this goal.
Purpose of collection
Census information is used by government agencies, local authorities, businesses, community organisations, and the public for developing and implementing new policies, research, planning, and decision-making. It helps make decisions about how to best use public funding, especially in areas of health, education, housing, and transport.
The census is also the primary source of information used for deciding the number of general and Māori electorates, along with data from the corresponding Māori Electoral Option.