Severe disability rates are higher in Northern Ireland than in the Republic, ESRI report finds

Legacy of the Troubles and differing health systems play a role in the differences, study says

In the North, 11pc live with severe disabilities, compared with 6pc in Ireland.

The number of citizens in both jurisdictions affected by the highest limitations and disabilities rose with age, but the age gradient was much steeper in the North.

Meanwhile, higher educational attainment was “strongly associated” with lower disability rates, particularly in Northern Ireland, the report found.

Unpaid caring roles are linked to a higher likelihood of reporting a disability, especially in the Republic, the report found.

Anne Devlin, the author of the ESRI report, said: “This report provides a comparative analysis of disability rates in Northern Ireland and Ireland and is timely given ongoing policy debate on disability-related issues, such as social security, in both jurisdictions.

“We find rates of overall disability are similar across the jurisdictions, but if we focus on more severe disabilities, the rate is much higher in Northern Ireland.

“Disability rates also show a mirrored pattern along the Border, with high-rate counties in [the Republic of] Ireland aligning with neighbouring high-rate counties in Northern Ireland and the same for areas with lower rates.”

Mapping showed higher disability prevalence in parts of Dublin and Belfast, with the report noting this “likely reflects patterns of deprivation as well as age profiles”.

The legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland is also known to have affected disability rates

There were high disability prevalence rates in some border counties, including in Donegal and Derry City and Strabane, with lower rates in Monaghan and Armagh city, Banbridge and Craigavon.

Overall disability rates among 20- to 69-year-olds are very similar north and south – 23pc in Northern Ireland and 22pc in Ireland.

Local labour market conditions had some influence, the report found, but the effects are relatively small, both north and south.

This differs from international literature on disability but is in line with previous findings for Northern Ireland.

The study presents these findings in the context of important differences between jurisdictions, including differing health systems, social security systems, educational attainment and differing social norms. The legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland is also known to have affected disability rates.

The report noted the findings “underline the need for policy responses that reflect the specific contexts of each jurisdiction”.

The study also emphasises the importance of more comparable data for all-island research, in particular aligned census questions.

The report measured disability in the north and south using each jurisdiction’s own census question.

In Northern Ireland, respondents report whether their day‑to‑day activities are “limited a lot”, “limited a little”, or “not limited”.

In the Republic, disability is based on a list of long‑lasting conditions or difficulties, reported as affecting the person “to a great extent”, “to some extent”, or “not at all”.

Severe disability refers to those reporting “limited a lot” (Northern Ireland) or “to a great extent” (Ireland).

The report will be published on the ESRI website today.