A new survey has offered the clearest picture to date of the
number of disabled people in China, putting the group at 83 million
people, 6.34 percent of the total 1.3 billion population.
The new figure is an increase of 31 million over the 1987
survey, which was attributed to an ageing population and rapid
industrialization and urbanization, according to the Second China
National Sample Survey on Disability, which was released on Friday
in Beijing.
People over 60 accounted for 11 percent of the nation's
population in 2005, rising from 8.5 percent in 1987.
The disability rate tends to be high among elderly people due to
a high incidence of ill health.
The survey found that 44.16 million disabled people are over 60
years old.
The figure is an increase of 23.65 million on 1987, accounting
for 75.5 percent of the newly increased disabled population.
Deng Pufang, chairman of China Disabled Persons' Federation,
told a press conference about some of the other causes.
"Industrial injuries, traffic accidents, sports injuries and
environmental pollution were also to blame for the dramatic
increase in the number of physically disabled people," he said.
Deng, also head of the Leading Group of the Second China
National Sample Survey on Disability, pointed out that there is a
link between the disabled population and socio-economic
development.
As economies develop and industrialize, people are more likely
to run the risk of getting injured in factories, on construction
sites or doing mechanical work, he explained. "In an agricultural
society, people are engaged in safer, simpler farming work," he
said.
Disability classifications have been revised and expanded, with
disability criteria brought into line with international standards
and other social and environmental factors taken into account, the
survey said.
The survey was conducted in all 31 provinces, autonomous regions
and municipalities on the Chinese mainland by 16 government
organizations including the National Statistics Bureau, the
Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the China
Disabled Persons' Federation from April 1 to May 31, 2006.
The 738 survey teams quizzed 2.5 million people in more than
750,000 households.
(China Daily December 2, 2006)