Disabled Population as a Percentage of the Total Population in 1991, 1994, and 1997
| Population numbers are in thousands. | ||||||||||||
| 1991-2 | 1994-5 | 1997 | ||||||||||
| Population Segment | Number | % of Total | Number | % of Total | Number | % of Total | ||||||
| Total Population | 251,796 | 261,749 | 267,655 | |||||||||
| Population with a Severe Disability | 24,117 | 9.58 | 25,968 | 9.92 | 32,970 | 12.32 | ||||||
| Population with a Non-severe Disability | 24,819 | 9.86 | 27,938 | 10.67 | 19,626 | 7.33 | ||||||
| Population with No Disability | 202,860 | 80.57 | 207,842 | 79.41 | 215,059 | 80.35 | ||||||
| Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Americans with Disabilities, 1997, Table 1, "Prevalence of Disability by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1997," February 2001, p. 10. | ||||||||||||
Disabled Population by Age Group in 1997
| Population numbers are in thousands. | ||||||||||||
| Total Population | ||||||||||||
| Disabled Population | Severely Disabled Population | |||||||||||
| Number | As % of Total | Number | As % of Total | Severely Disabled As % of All Disabled | ||||||||
| Under 3 years | 11,619 | 233 | 2.01 | 58 | 0.50 | 24.89 | ||||||
| Under 15 years | 59,606 | 4,661 | 7.82 | 2,256 | 3.78 | 48.40 | ||||||
| 15 to 24 years | 36,897 | 3,961 | 10.74 | 1,942 | 5.26 | 49.03 | ||||||
| 25 to 44 years | 83,887 | 11,200 | 13.35 | 6,793 | 8.10 | 60.65 | ||||||
| 45 to 54 years | 33,620 | 7,585 | 22.56 | 4,674 | 13.90 | 61.62 | ||||||
| 55 to 64 years | 21,591 | 7,708 | 35.70 | 5,223 | 24.19 | 67.76 | ||||||
| 65 years and over | 32,064 | 17,480 | 54.52 | 12,073 | 37.65 | 69.07 | ||||||
| Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Americans with Disabilities, 1997, Table 1, "Prevalence of Disability by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1997," February 2001, p. 10. | ||||||||||||
Leading Causes of Disability Among Persons Aged 15 Years and Older, 1991-92
| Number of Cases (000) | Percent of Total Cases | |||
| Arthritis or rheumatism | 7,200 | 17.10 | ||
| Back or spine problems | 5,700 | 13.50 | ||
| Heart trouble | 4,600 | 11.10 | ||
| Lung or respiratory trouble | 2,800 | 6.80 | ||
| High blood pressure (hypertension) | 2,200 | 5.10 | ||
| Stiffness or deformity of limb | 2,000 | 4.80 | ||
| Diabetes | 1,600 | 3.90 | ||
| Blindness or other visual impairment | 1,500 | 3.50 | ||
| Deafness or serious trouble hearing | 1,100 | 2.60 | ||
| Stroke | 1,100 | 2.50 | ||
| Cancer | 896 | 2.10 | ||
| Broken bone / fracture | 830 | 2.00 | ||
| Mental or emotional problems | 784 | 1.90 | ||
| Paralysis of any kind | 716 | 1.70 | ||
| Head or spinal cord injury | 592 | 1.40 | ||
| Source: U.S. Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control, "Prevalence of Disability and Associated Health Conditions, United States, 1991-1992," Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, 1994, Volume 43, Number 40, available online at http//www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00033002.htm. | ||||
Leading Causes of Disability Among Persons Aged 17 Years or Younger, 1991-92
| Number of Cases | Percent of All Cases | |
| Autism | 48,000 | 1.00 |
| Missing limb, finger or toes | 70,000 | 1.40 |
| Paralysis of any kind | 73,000 | 1.50 |
| Hay fever or other respiratory allergies | 76,000 | 1.60 |
| Tonsilitis or repeated ear infection | 80,000 | 1.60 |
| Deafness or serious trouble hearing | 116,000 | 2.40 |
| Impairment deformity of back, foot or leg | 121,000 | 2.50 |
| Epilepsy or seizure disorder | 128,000 | 2.60 |
| Cerebral palsy | 129,000 | 2.70 |
| Blindness or other visual impairment | 144,000 | 3.00 |
| Mental or emotional problems | 305,000 | 6.30 |
| Asthma | 311,000 | 6.40 |
| Mental retardation | 331,000 | 6.80 |
[Continued]
Leading Causes of Disability Among Persons Aged 17 Years or Younger, 1991-92 [Continued]
| Number of Cases | Percent of All Cases | |||
| Speech problems | 634,000 | 13.10 | ||
| Learning disability | 1,435,000 | 29.50 | ||
| Source: U.S. Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control, "Prevalence of Disability and Associated Health Conditions, United States, 1991-1992," Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, 1994, Volume 43, Number 40, available online at http//www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00033002.htm. | ||||
Children and Youths with Disabilities Served by Selected Programs for the Disabled, 1977-2000
| For the years 1977 through 1988 the data are for all children aged 3 to 21 years. From 1989 through 2000 the age range covered is 6 to 21 years. Numbers are in thousands. | ||||||||||||||
| Year | Population Aged 6-20 Years | All Children Served | Children Served by Type of Disability | |||||||||||
| Speech Impaired | Learning Disabled | Mentally Retarded | Emotionally Disturbed | Deaf or Hearing Impaired | Visually Impaired | Orthopedic Impairment | Austims | All Other Disabilities | ||||||
| 1977 | NA | 3,722 | 1,309 | 800 | 972 | 284 | 90 | 38 | - | - | - | |||
| 1978 | NA | 3,777 | 1,227 | 969 | 945 | 289 | 87 | 36 | - | - | - | |||
| 1979 | NA | 3,889 | 1,213 | 1,132 | 902 | 299 | 86 | 31 | 70 | - | 156 | |||
| 1980 | 66,080 | 4,005 | 1,185 | 1,278 | 869 | 328 | 80 | 32 | 64 | - | 164 | |||
| 1981 | 65,283 | 4,142 | 1,168 | 1,462 | 828 | 348 | 79 | 33 | 58 | - | 165 | |||
| 1982 | 64,578 | 4,198 | 1,133 | 1,620 | 785 | 340 | 76 | 29 | 59 | - | 151 | |||
| 1983 | 64,061 | 4,255 | 1,132 | 1,740 | 757 | 353 | 72 | 30 | 55 | - | 115 | |||
| 1984 | 63,657 | 4,298 | 1,126 | 1,805 | 726 | 361 | 73 | 30 | 56 | - | 116 | |||
| 1985 | 63,336 | 4,315 | 1,126 | 1,830 | 695 | 371 | 69 | 30 | 56 | - | 138 | |||
| 1986 | 63,173 | 4,317 | 1,127 | 1,861 | 661 | 376 | 65 | 26 | 56 | - | 142 | |||
| 1987 | 63,259 | 4,374 | 1,128 | 1,907 | 656 | 381 | 66 | 70 | 57 | - | 148 | |||
| 1988 | 63,529 | 4,446 | 1,031 | 2,090 | 649 | 405 | 62 | 27 | 49 | - | 133 | |||
| 1989 | 52,962 | 4,173 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
| 1990 | 53,445 | 4,219 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
| 1991 | 53,506 | 4,362 | 988 | 2,144 | 552 | 391 | 59 | 24 | 49 | NA | 154 | |||
| 1992 | 53,777 | 4,459 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
| 1993 | 54,314 | 4,586 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
| 1994 | 55,086 | 4,779 | 1,018 | 2,428 | 554 | 415 | 65 | 25 | 57 | 19 | 198 | |||
| 1995 | 55,975 | 4,908 | 1,020 | 2,510 | 571 | 428 | 65 | 25 | 61 | 23 | 204 | |||
| 1996 | 56,954 | 5,079 | 1,027 | 2,602 | 586 | 439 | 68 | 26 | 63 | 29 | 239 | |||
| 1997 | 57,971 | 5,231 | 1,049 | 2,674 | 594 | 446 | 69 | 26 | 66 | 34 | 271 | |||
| 1998 | 58,728 | 5,397 | 1,064 | 2,755 | 603 | 454 | 70 | 26 | 67 | 43 | 314 | |||
| 1999 | 59,410 | 5,539 | 1,074 | 2,816 | 611 | 463 | 71 | 26 | 69 | 54 | 355 | |||
| 2000 | 59,891 | 5,683 | 1,090 | 2,872 | 614 | 470 | 72 | 27 | 71 | 65 | 400 | |||
| Source: Data in this tables are from five different editions of a book produced annually by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States, editions 1980, p. 363; 1990, p. 146; 1995, p. 171; 1999, p. 186; and 2000, p. 175. Note: NA means that data were not available for those years. A dash (-) means data were not yet collected for the category. | ||||||||||||||
Number of Workers on Disability Benefits and Total Benefits Paid, 1970-2001
| The count of workers on disability benefits is as of December 31 for each year listed. | |||||
| Year | Disabled Workers Receiving Disability Benefits | Total Benefits Paid to Disabled Workers ($ mil.) | Average Benefits Paid Annually to Each Beneficiary (2000 Dollars) | Civilian Labor Force (000) | Disability Beneficiaries per 1,000 Workers in the Labor Force |
| 1970 | 1,493,316 | 2,448 | 6,963 | 78,594 | 19.00 |
| 1971 | 1,647,696 | 3,028 | 7,369 | 80,471 | 20.48 |
| 1972 | 1,832,916 | 3,626 | 7,556 | 83,400 | 21.98 |
| 1973 | 2,016,884 | 4,676 | 8,270 | 86,401 | 23.34 |
| 1974 | 2,236,928 | 5,662 | 8,203 | 86,144 | 25.97 |
| 1975 | 2,488,951 | 6,908 | 8,354 | 86,665 | 28.72 |
| 1976 | 2,670,244 | 8,190 | 8,148 | 89,803 | 29.73 |
| 1977 | 2,834,432 | 9,456 | 8,214 | 94,105 | 30.12 |
| 1978 | 2,879,828 | 10,315 | 8,238 | 97,581 | 29.51 |
| 1979 | 2,870,411 | 11,333 | 8,261 | 99,933 | 28.72 |
| 1980 | 2,861,253 | 12,816 | 8,672 | 99,645 | 28.71 |
| 1981 | 2,776,519 | 14,379 | 9,222 | 99,032 | 28.04 |
| 1982 | 2,603,713 | 14,811 | 9,583 | 102,996 | 25.28 |
| 1983 | 2,568,966 | 15,196 | 9,765 | 106,223 | 24.18 |
| 1984 | 2,596,535 | 15,623 | 9,683 | 108,216 | 23.99 |
| 1985 | 2,656,500 | 16,483 | 9,691 | 110,728 | 23.99 |
| 1986 | 2,727,386 | 17,409 | 9,757 | 113,793 | 23.97 |
| 1987 | 2,785,885 | 18,053 | 9,712 | 116,104 | 23.99 |
| 1988 | 2,830,284 | 19,165 | 9,825 | 117,830 | 24.02 |
| 1989 | 2,895,364 | 20,314 | 9,908 | 118,241 | 24.49 |
| 1990 | 3,011,294 | 22,113 | 10,115 | 117,466 | 25.64 |
| 1991 | 3,194,938 | 24,738 | 10,094 | 117,466 | 27.20 |
| 1992 | 3,467,783 | 27,856 | 10,143 | 118,997 | 29.14 |
| 1993 | 3,725,966 | 30,913 | 10,212 | 121,464 | 30.68 |
| 1994 | 3,962,954 | 33,711 | 10,276 | 124,721 | 31.77 |
| 1995 | 4,185,263 | 36,610 | 10,204 | 125,088 | 33.46 |
| 1996 | 4,385,623 | 39,625 | 10,242 | 127,860 | 34.30 |
| 1997 | 4,508,134 | 41,083 | 10,072 | 130,679 | 34.50 |
| 1998 | 4,698,319 | 43,467 | 9,947 | 132,577 | 35.44 |
| 1999 | 4,879,455 | 46,459 | 9,948 | 134,513 | 36.27 |
| 2000 | 5,042,334 | 49,848 | 9,886 | 135,888 | 37.11 |
| 2001 | 5,274,183 | 54,246 | 10,234 | 134,055 | 39.34 |
| Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Social Security Beneficiary Statistics, "Number of Beneficiaries Receiving Benefits on December 31, 1970-2001," published online in December 2001, available online at http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/ProgData/benefits/html. Labor force figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics, Division of Labor Force Statstics, Washington, DC. Per capita data on benefits paid to beneficiaries have been normalized to the base year 2000. | |||||
New Disability Beneficiaries by Diagnostic Group, 1960-2000 by Decade
| Diagnostic Group | 1960 | 1970 | 1981 | 1990 | 2000 |
| Total New Beneficiaries | 207,805 | 350,384 | 351,847 | 467,977 | 610,700 |
| Musculoskeletal system | 17,124 | 52,086 | 58,639 | 74,501 | 153,600 |
| All mental disorders | 17,287 | 38,406 | 36,318 | 105,173 | 143,200 |
| Circulatory diseases | 55,855 | 108,906 | 85,994 | 73,585 | 75,400 |
| Neoplasms | 17,739 | 36,095 | 56,410 | 65,939 | 63,600 |
| Nervous system diseases | 32,105 | 22,575 | 28,516 | 37,737 | 50,100 |
| Injuries | NA | 28,231 | 20,868 | 22,315 | 28,700 |
| Respiratory diseases | 16,489 | 24,254 | 21,520 | 22,158 | 26,200 |
| Endocrine diseases | 5,406 | 13,141 | 14,768 | 16,255 | 17,100 |
| Genito-urinary system | 1,077 | 2,912 | 6,230 | 10,294 | 14,900 |
| Digestive system diseases | 3,575 | 9,051 | 7,363 | 7,431 | 12,700 |
| Infectious diseases | 10,903 | 8,760 | 2,596 | 22,023 | 10,700 |
| All Others | 28,475 | 2,370 | 7,220 | 7,455 | 10,600 |
| Skin diseases | 463 | NA | 1,345 | 866 | 1,700 |
| Diseases of the blood | 442 | NA | 942 | 1,734 | 1,500 |
| Congenital anomolies | 865 | 3,597 | 3,118 | 511 | 700 |
| Source: U. S. Social Security Administration, Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2000, Table 18, "Awards to Disabled Workers by Diagnostic Group, 1960-2000," September 2001, p. 56. | |||||
All Social Security Disability Beneficiaries, by Diagnostic Group in 2000
| Diagnostic Group | Number of Cases | Percent of All Cases |
| Total | 5,042,333 | 100.00 |
| Musculoskeletal system | 1,152,231 | 22.85 |
| All mental disorders | 1,618,758 | 32.10 |
| Circulatory diseases | 532,998 | 10.57 |
| Neoplasms | 136,404 | 2.71 |
| Nervous system diseases | 479,246 | 9.50 |
| Injuries | 231,066 | 4.58 |
| Respiratory diseases | 166,054 | 3.29 |
| Endocrine diseases | 244,456 | 4.85 |
| Genito-urinary system | 84,687 | 1.68 |
| Digestive system diseases | 69,735 | 1.38 |
| Infectious diseases | 97,919 | 1.94 |
| Skin diseases | 12,351 | 0.24 |
| Diseases of the blood | 12,070 | 0.24 |
| Congenital anomolies | 8,540 | 0.17 |
| All Other and Unknown | 195,818 | 3.88 |
| Source: U. S. Social Security Administration, Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2000, Table 4, "All Disabled Beneficiaries by Diagnostic Group and Sex, December 2000," September 2001, pp. 32-33. | ||
Highest Level of Education Attained in the General Population and Among Disability Beneficiaries
| Data for the general population are for 2000. Data for disability beneficiaries are for 1998. | ||||
| Highest Educational Level Completed | General Population Aged 25 Years or Older | Disability Beneficiaries | ||
| Number | % of Total | Number | % of Total | |
| Less than 9th grade | 13,755,477 | 7.5 | 642,331 | 12.5 |
| 9th to 12th, no diploma | 21,960,148 | 12.1 | 916,855 | 17.8 |
| High school graduate | 52,168,981 | 28.6 | 1,863,777 | 36.1 |
| Some college | 38,351,595 | 21.0 | 1,179,585 | 22.9 |
| Associate degree | 11,512,833 | 6.3 | NA | NA |
| Bachelor's or higher degree | 44,462,605 | 24.4 | 546,823 | 10.6 |
| Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2000, September 2001, Table 45, available online at http://www.ssa.gov/statistics/di_asr/2000/sect6.html. Note: The educational level of 0.2% of disability beneficiaries is unknown for 1998. | ||||
Population Aged 16 to 64 Years by Highest Level of Education Attained and Disability Status, 1995 and 2001
| All figures are in thousands. | |||||||
| Total Population | Highest Level of Education Attained | ||||||
| 8th Grade or Less | Up to 12th Grade but no Diploma | High School Graduate | Some College | Bachelor's or Higher Degree | |||
| General Population | |||||||
| In 1995 | 166,756 | 8,688 | 23,471 | 53,448 | 45,252 | 35,894 | |
| In 2001 | 178,202 | 7,949 | 23,827 | 54,158 | 49,343 | 42,924 | |
| Severely Disabled Population | |||||||
| In 1995 | 10,376 | 1,978 | 2,440 | 3,681 | 1,663 | 613 | |
| In 2001 | 11,645 | 1,544 | 2,339 | 4,369 | 2,464 | 928 | |
| Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Disability: Selected Characteristics of Persons 16 to 74: 2001, Table 1., "Selected Characteristics of Civilians 16 to 74 Years Old with a Work Disability, by Educational Attainment and Sex: 2001," October 2000, available online at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disable/cps/cps101.html. | |||||||
Disability Status, Employment Rate, and Annual Rate of Earnings for Individuals 21 to 64 Years Old in 1997
| Numbers are in thousands unless otherwise specified. | |||||
| Persons with: | Total Number | Number Employed | % of Total Employed | Median Earnings | Mean Earnings |
| No disability | 125,084 | 105,624 | 84.44 | 23,654 | 31,053 |
| Non-severe disability | 10,393 | 8,527 | 82.05 | 20,457 | 26,412 |
| Severe disability | 17,409 | 5,464 | 31.39 | 13,272 | 18,631 |
| Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Americans with Disabilities: 1997, Table 4, "Disability Status, Employment, and Annual Rate of Earnings: Individuals 21 to 64 Years Old: 1997," February 2001, available online at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disable/sipp/disab97/ds97t4.html. | |||||
User Comments Add a comment…