Indicators from the 1996, 2001 and 2006 New Zealand Disability Surveys for monitoring progress on outcomes for disabled people

Educational qualifications

The next five sections of the report cover adults only.

 

Educational achievement is another commonly used general social indicator.  Data on the educational qualifications of disabled and non-disabled adults participating in the 1996, 2001, and 2006 Disability Surveys were linked in from the Census of those same years.

When considering this data it is important to remember that the data is not necessarily directly comparable between the three surveys due to changes in the types of educational qualification included in the Census questions (for example the introduction of NCEA in the 2006 Census - see Statistics New Zealand 2011).  In addition, readers should note the relatively high percentage of people in the ‘not elsewhere included' category in the 2001 and 2006 survey data (see table 12, below).  A further point to bear in mind is that many disabled adults will only have become disabled some years after participating in formal education - this particularly applies to older adults.

Figure 14 shows the percentage of disabled and non-disabled adults aged 25-44 who had no educational qualifications in 1996, 2001, and 2006.  These are people who left secondary school with no formal educational qualifications of any kind.  As can be seen, for each of the three years, disabled 25-44 year olds were more likely than non-disabled 25-44 year olds to have no educational qualifications. 

Figure 14 - Adults aged 25-44 with no educational qualifications

Adults aged 25–44 with no educational qualifications

Source: Statistics New Zealand, Household Disability Surveys 1996, 2001, 2006
Note: Data for 2006 are not directly comparable to 1996 and 2001. In addition, caution should be used when interpreting this chart as the 1996 estimates are not comparable with the 2001 and 2006 estimates due to changes in the educational qualification question.

Figure 15 shows the percentage of disabled and non-disabled adults aged 25-44 whose highest educational qualification was a secondary school qualification.  In each survey period - 1996, 2001 and 2006 - a slightly smaller percentage of disabled adults than non-disabled adults had a school qualification as their highest educational qualification.   

Figure 15 - Adults aged 25-44 with school qualifications as their highest qualification

Adults aged 25–44 with school qualifications as their highest qualification

Source: Statistics New Zealand, Household Disability Surveys 1996, 2001, 2006
Note: Data for 2006 are not directly comparable to 1996 and 2001. In addition, caution should be used when interpreting this chart as the 1996 estimates are not comparable with the 2001 and 2006 estimates due to changes in the educational qualification question.

Figure 16 shows the percentage of disabled and non-disabled adults aged 25-44 whose highest educational qualification was a post-school qualification.  This is a qualification such as a university or polytechnic diploma or degree or a trade certificate.  Consistently across the three survey years, a larger percentage of non-disabled adults than disabled adults had post-school qualifications.   

Figure 16 - Adults aged 25-44 with post-school qualifications

Adults aged 25–44 with post-school qualifications

Source: Statistics New Zealand, Household Disability Surveys 1996, 2001, 2006
Note: Data for 2006 are not directly comparable to 1996 and 2001. In addition, caution should be used when interpreting this chart as the 1996 estimates are not comparable with the 2001 and 2006 estimates due to changes in the educational qualification question.

Note that the age group 25-44 was selected as the focus for this and the previous two charts as it is the age group when most people can be expected to have finished their formal schooling at high school and, potentially, also completed at least one post-school qualification.  Data for other age groups, and sex and ethnic groups, is shown in tables 12-14.

In each of the three surveys, among both disabled and non-disabled adults, males were more likely than females to have a post-school qualification as their highest educational achievement.  In both groups, females were more likely than males to have a school qualification as their highest educational achievement.

Among both disabled and non-disabled adults, Europeans and people from Asian/Other ethnic groups were more likely than Māori and Pacific peoples to have a post-school qualification as their highest educational qualification.

Table 12

Highest level of educational achievement for disabled and non-disabled adults
By age group
1996, 2001, 2006
Age group
(years)
Level of educational achievementNot elsewhere includedTotal
No qualificationSchool qualificationsPost-school qualifications
No.PercentNo.PercentNo.PercentNo.PercentNo.Percent
1996
Disabled
15-24 -- -- 17,500 46 -- -- -- -- 38,200 100
25-44 47,700 31 44,700 30 52,300 35 -- -- 151,500 100
45-64 91,800 47 40,900 21 57,700 29 -- -- 195,800 100
65+ 96,700 50 43,500 22 43,300 22 -- -- 194,900 100
Total 248,000 43 146,600 25 160,000 28 25,800 4 580,400 100
Non-disabled
15-24 82,600 19 227,100 53 98,600 23 19,900 5 428,300 100
25-44 178,000 19 298,000 33 394,200 43 46,300 5 916,400 100
45-64 197,700 34 148,500 25 204,800 35 37,100 6 588,200 100
65+ 97,200 49 45,500 23 45,500 23 -- -- 199,400 100
Total 555,500 26 719,100 34 743,100 35 114,600 5 2,132,300 100
2001
Disabled
15-24 15,700 35 16,600 38 3,200 7 8,800 20 44,400 100
25-44 41,400 26 51,200 33 44,100 28 20,800 13 157,500 100
45-64 66,600 32 51,700 25 56,600 27 34,300 16 209,100 100
65+ 71,000 33 50,500 23 30,600 14 63,500 29 215,600 100
Total 194,700 31 170,000 27 134,400 21 127,400 20 625,500 100
Non-disabled
15-24 86,100 19 218,600 49 69,500 16 70,100 16 444,300 100
25-44 136,900 15 349,100 38 341,600 37 92,900 10 920,600 100
45-64 168,100 27 191,500 30 200,100 32 69,800 11 629,400 100
65+ 65,500 32 50,100 24 37,400 18 52,500 26 205,400 100
Total 456,600 21 809,200 37 648,600 29 285,200 13 2,199,700 100
2006
Disabled
15-24 12,400 37 10,100 30 4,300 13 6,400 19 33,200 100
25-44 31,000 29 31,000 29 37,400 35 8,500 8 108,000 100
45-64 76,300 37 46,000 22 61,900 30 22,800 11 207,100 100
65+ 67,800 36 41,900 22 41,700 22 39,500 21 190,900 100
Total 187,600 35 129,000 24 145,400 27 77,200 14 539,200 100
Non-disabled
15-24 90,800 19 256,000 54 76,600 16 53,300 11 476,600 100
25-44 125,100 13 310,300 32 469,000 48 67,100 7 971,500 100
45-64 172,400 21 222,600 27 363,000 44 73,200 9 831,300 100
65+ 89,000 32 61,800 23 81,500 30 41,600 15 273,800 100
Total 477,200 19 850,800 33 990,000 39 235,100 9 2,553,200 100

Source: Statistics New Zealand, 1996, 2001, 2006 Household Disability Surveys

Note: Data for 2006 are not directly comparable with those for 1996 and 2001.  In addition data for 1996 are not comparable with data for 2001 and 2006 due to changes in the educational qualification question

Due to rounding, individual numbers may not sum to stated totals

Percent = percentage of adults living in households

Symbol: -- figure too small to be expressed

Table 13

Highest level of educational achievement for disabled and non-disabled adults
By sex
1996,2001,2006
SexLevel of educational achievement

Not elsewhere included

Total
No qualificationSchool qualificationsPost-school qualification
No.PercentNo.PercentNo.PercentNo.PercentNo.Percent
1996
Disabled
Male 109,000 41 61,700 23 87,300 32 -- -- 268,900 100
Female 139,000 45 84,900 27 72,700 23 14,900 5 311,500 100
Total 248,000 43 146,600 25 160,000 28 25,800 4 580,400 100
Non-disabled
Male 276,300 27 319,700 31 380,600 37 59,600 6 1,036,300 100
Female 279,200 25 399,400 36 362,500 33 55,000 5 1,096,000 100
Total 555,500 26 719,100 34 743,100 35 114,600 5 2,132,300 100
2001
Disabled
Male 91,000 31 77,100 26 70,600 24 57,400 19 296,100 100
Female 103,700 31 93,000 28 63,800 19 69,900 21 330,400 100
Total 194,700 31 170,000 27 134,400 21 127,400 20 626,500 100
Non-disabled
Male 231,800 22 372,400 35 325,100 31 132,900 13 1,062,200 100
Female 224,700 20 436,800 38 323,500 28 152,300 13 1,137,400 100
Total 456,600 21 809,200 37 648,600 29 285,200 13 2,199,700 100
2006
Disabled
Male 90,000 34 55,200 21 82,400 31 37,400 14 264,900 100
Female 97,600 36 73,800 27 63,000 23 39,800 15 274,300 100
Total 187,600 35 129,000 24 145,400 27 77,200 14 539,200 100
Non-disabled
Male 229,200 19 378,700 31 504,200 41 112,800 9 1,224,900 100
Female 248,000 19 472,100 36 485,900 37 122,300 9 1,328,300 100
Total 477,200 19 580,800 33 990,000 39 235,100 9 2,553,200 100

Source: Statistics New Zealand, 1996, 2001, 2006 Household Disability Surveys

Note: Data for 2006 are not directly comparable with those for 1996 and 2001.  In addition data for 1996 are not comparable with data for 2001 and 2006 due to changes in the educational qualification question

Due to rounding, individual numbers may not sum to stated totals

Percent = percentage of adults living in households

Symbol: -- figure too small to be expressed

Table 14

Highest level of educational achievement for disabled and non-disabled adults
By ethnic group
1996, 2001, 2006
Ethnic GroupNo qualificationSchool qualificationsPost-school qualificationNot elsewhere includedTotal
No.PercentNo.PercentNo.PercentNo.PercentNo.Percent
1996
Disabled
European 205,100 41 129,500 26 143,500 29 18,100 4 496,200 100
Māori 31,300 56 14,100 25 -- -- -- -- 56,200 100
Pacific Peoples -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Asian/ Other -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Not elsewhere included -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Total 248,000 43 146,600 25 160,000 28 25,800 4 580,400 100
Non-disabled
Eurpoean 418,300 25 576,500 35 631,200 38 14,400 1 1,640,500 100
Māori 87,000 39 75,700 34 53,100 24 -- -- 220,500 100
Pacific Peoples 29,000 39 26,800 36 15,400 21 -- -- 73,400 100
Asian/ Other 17,800 18 37,700 39 40,700 42 -- -- 96,100 100
Not elsewhere included -- -- -- -- -- -- 93,200 92 101,800 100
Total 555,500 26 719,100 34 743,100 35 114,600 5 2,132,300 100
2001
Disabled
European 153,000 31 137,800 28 117,700 24 90,300 18 498,800 100
Māori 30,200 39 17,900 23 11,400 15 18,700 24 78,100 100
Pacific Peoples 7,500 34 6,300 29 -- -- 6,500 30 22,000 100
Asian/Other -- -- 6,000 32 3,700 20 7,000 37 18,900 100
Not elsewhere included -- -- 2,000 23 -- -- 4,800 55 8,700 100
Total 194,700 31 170,000 27 134,400 21 127,400 20 626,500 100
Non-Disabled
European 326,900 21 608,400 39 532,300 34 102,700 7 1,570,300 100
Māori 85,600 35 78,900 32 51,700 21 29,500 12 245,600 100
Pacific Peoples 29,500 28 44,500 42 14,000 13 18,500 17 106,600 100
Asian/ Other 13,000 9 71,400 48 49,900 34 13,100 9 147,400 100
Not elsewhere included -- -- 5,900 5 -- -- 121,400 94 129,700 100
Total 456,600 21 809,200 37 648,600 29 285,200 13 2,199,700 100
2006
Disabled
European 128,900 34 89,100 24 105,100 28 54,600 14 377,700 100
Māori 28,100 42 13,300 20 13,700 20 12,400 18 67,500 100
Pacific Peoples 7,100 39 4,700 26 2,100 11 4,400 24 18,300 100
Asian/Other 23,500 31 21,900 29 24,600 32 5,800 8 75,700 100
Not elsewhere included -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Total 187,600 35 129,000 24 145,400 27 77,200 14 539,200 100
Non-disabled
European 288,800 18 530,400 33 638,300 40 139,600 9 1,597,100 100
Māori 83,500 29 93,800 32 78,500 27 35,700 12 291,600 100
Pacific Peoples 35,700 27 47,600 36 25,400 19 21,900 17 130,600 100
Asian/Other 69,100 13 179,000 34 247,900 46 37,900 7 534,000 100
Not elsewhere included -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Total 477,200 19 850,800 33 990,000 39 235,100 9 2,553,200 100

Source: Statistics New Zealand, 1996, 2001, 2006 Household Disability Surveys

Note: Data for 2006 are not directly comparable with those for 1996 and 2001.  In addition data for 1996 are not comparable with data for 2001 and 2006 due to changes in the educational qualification question

Due to rounding, individual numbers may not sum to stated totals.

Percent = percentage of adults living in households

Symbol: -- figure too small to be expressed

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