Disability and Functioning

Data are for the U.S.

Selected sensory problems
  • Percent of adults age 18 and older with any difficulty hearing: 15.5% (2022)
  • Percent of adults age 18 and older with any difficulty seeing: 18.4% (2022)

Source: Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2019-2022

Difficulties in physical functioning
  • Percent of adults age 18 and older with any difficulty walking or climbing steps: 18.5% (2022)

Source: Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2019-2022

Level of reported difficulty in six domains of functioning (seeing, hearing, mobility, communication, cognition, self-care)
  • Number of adults age 18 and older reporting a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in at least one domain of functioning: 22.7 million (2019)
  • Percent of adults age 18 and older reporting a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in at least one domain of functioning: 9.0% (2019)
  • Number of adults age 65 and older reporting a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in at least one domain of functioning: 10.2 million (2019)
  • Percent of adults age 65 and older reporting a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in at least one domain of functioning: 19.3% (2019)

Source: Health, United States, 2020-2021, table FxLimit [PDF – 9.8 MB]