17 Mobility Disability Statistics

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These mobility disability figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.

Key Mobility Disability Statistics

The main findings are:

  • In the 2022 United States Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 12.2% of adults reported a mobility disability.
  • In 2022, 14.4% of U.S. adults with a disability lacked reliable transportation for medical appointments, work, meetings, or daily needs in the previous 12 months, compared with 4.9% of adults without a disability (2022; previous 12 months).
  • Approximately 1.71 billion people worldwide lived with musculoskeletal conditions according to a Global Burden of Disease 2019 analysis.
  • In a 2010–2011 Nigeria General Household Survey-Panel sample of adults aged 50 years and older, mobility disability prevalence was 20.1% among women and 12.5% among men.
  • A 2019 U.S. BRFSS analysis estimated 34.2 million adults had a mobility disability, equal to 13.3% of adults (95% CI 13.1%–13.5%).
  • Among U.S. adults aged 18–44 with a disability, 24.0% lacked reliable transportation for daily living in 2022, versus 5.7% without a disability (2022; previous 12 months).
  • Musculoskeletal conditions accounted for approximately 149 million years lived with disability worldwide, or 17% of all years lived with disability, in the WHO summary of GBD 2019 data.
  • In the same Nigeria study, the unadjusted prevalence ratio for mobility disability in women versus men was 1.61 (95% CI 1.38–1.88) (2010–2011).
  • In the same 2019 U.S. analysis, mobility disability was the most prevalent of the six measured disability types, ahead of cognitive or mental disability at 12.1%.
  • Among U.S. adults aged 45–64 with a disability, 15.9% lacked reliable transportation for daily living in 2022, versus 4.4% without a disability (2022; previous 12 months).
  • Low back pain had about 570 million prevalent cases worldwide and was responsible for 7.4% of global years lived with disability in the WHO summary of GBD 2019 data.
  • In a population-based study of 1,821 adults aged 60 years and older in two Telangana districts, India, self-reported mobility disability prevalence was 12.8% (95% CI 9.7%–16.8%) (Study field period reported in the article; cross-sectional observation; Khammam and Warangal districts, Telangana, India).
  • Among U.S. adults aged 65 and older with a disability, 8.1% lacked reliable transportation for daily living in 2022, versus 3.6% without a disability (2022; previous 12 months).
  • The WHO summary of GBD 2019 data reported 528 million people with osteoarthritis, 440 million with fractures, 222 million with neck pain, and 180 million with amputations worldwide.
  • In the Telangana study, 20.3% of participants had at least one self-reported disability (95% CI 16.3%–24.9%), and 12.1% reported one disability, 5.6% two disabilities, and 2.7% three or more (Study field period reported in the article; cross-sectional observation; Khammam and Warangal districts, Telangana, India).

Contents

How common mobility disability is

  • In the 2022 United States Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 12.2% of adults reported a mobility disability. (CDC Data Shows Over 70…)
  • A 2019 U.S. BRFSS analysis estimated 34.2 million adults had a mobility disability, equal to 13.3% of adults (95% CI 13.1%–13.5%). (National Prevalence of Disability and…)
  • In the same 2019 U.S. analysis, mobility disability was the most prevalent of the six measured disability types, ahead of cognitive or mental disability at 12.1%. (National Prevalence of Disability and…)

This is a survey prevalence estimate for adults; the cited MMWR page uses the NHIS disability definition for its access analysis, so definitions should not be assumed identical across surveys.

This fact comes from the peer-reviewed BRFSS analysis identified in the research record; BRFSS covers noninstitutionalized adults and relies on self-report.

The ranking applies to the six disability domains measured in that BRFSS analysis and not to every possible disability classification.

Mobility disability and access to daily life

  • In 2022, 14.4% of U.S. adults with a disability lacked reliable transportation for medical appointments, work, meetings, or daily needs in the previous 12 months, compared with 4.9% of adults without a disability (2022; previous 12 months). (QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged…)
  • Among U.S. adults aged 18–44 with a disability, 24.0% lacked reliable transportation for daily living in 2022, versus 5.7% without a disability (2022; previous 12 months). (QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged…)
  • Among U.S. adults aged 45–64 with a disability, 15.9% lacked reliable transportation for daily living in 2022, versus 4.4% without a disability (2022; previous 12 months). (QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged…)
  • Among U.S. adults aged 65 and older with a disability, 8.1% lacked reliable transportation for daily living in 2022, versus 3.6% without a disability (2022; previous 12 months). (QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged…)

Disability was defined as a lot of difficulty or inability in at least one of six functioning domains; the outcome is lack of reliable transportation, not mobility disability alone.

The comparison is disability status, not mobility-domain status specifically, and is based on the civilian noninstitutionalized population.

The outcome measures transportation access and the disability classification covers six functioning domains.

The measure is transportation access, not a direct measure of walking or climbing ability.

Global conditions associated with mobility limitation

  • Approximately 1.71 billion people worldwide lived with musculoskeletal conditions according to a Global Burden of Disease 2019 analysis. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • Musculoskeletal conditions accounted for approximately 149 million years lived with disability worldwide, or 17% of all years lived with disability, in the WHO summary of GBD 2019 data. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • Low back pain had about 570 million prevalent cases worldwide and was responsible for 7.4% of global years lived with disability in the WHO summary of GBD 2019 data. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • The WHO summary of GBD 2019 data reported 528 million people with osteoarthritis, 440 million with fractures, 222 million with neck pain, and 180 million with amputations worldwide. (Musculoskeletal health)

This is a modeled GBD estimate covering more than 150 conditions; it is not a count of people with mobility disability under one single survey definition.

Years lived with disability is a burden metric, not a prevalence count, and the WHO reports it for musculoskeletal conditions collectively.

Low back pain is a related condition and proxy for mobility burden, not synonymous with mobility disability.

These are condition-specific modeled counts and should not be added together because conditions can overlap and do not all represent mobility disability.

Mobility disability in older populations

  • In a 2010–2011 Nigeria General Household Survey-Panel sample of adults aged 50 years and older, mobility disability prevalence was 20.1% among women and 12.5% among men. (Gender difference in the prevalence…)
  • In the same Nigeria study, the unadjusted prevalence ratio for mobility disability in women versus men was 1.61 (95% CI 1.38–1.88) (2010–2011). (Gender difference in the prevalence…)
  • In a population-based study of 1,821 adults aged 60 years and older in two Telangana districts, India, self-reported mobility disability prevalence was 12.8% (95% CI 9.7%–16.8%) (Study field period reported in the article; cross-sectional observation; Khammam and Warangal districts, Telangana, India). (Prevalence of disabilities and non-communicable…)
  • In the Telangana study, 20.3% of participants had at least one self-reported disability (95% CI 16.3%–24.9%), and 12.1% reported one disability, 5.6% two disabilities, and 2.7% three or more (Study field period reported in the article; cross-sectional observation; Khammam and Warangal districts, Telangana, India). (Prevalence of disabilities and non-communicable…)
  • In the Telangana study, adults aged 80 years and older had 1.62 times the adjusted odds of any disability compared with adults aged 60–69 years (95% CI 1.07–2.46) (Study field period reported in the article; cross-sectional observation; Khammam and Warangal districts, Telangana, India). (Prevalence of disabilities and non-communicable…)
  • In the Telangana study, participants with at least one noncommunicable disease had 1.40 times the adjusted odds of disability compared with those without an NCD (95% CI 1.07–1.83) (Study field period reported in the article; cross-sectional observation; Khammam and Warangal districts, Telangana, India). (Prevalence of disabilities and non-communicable…)

Mobility disability was self-reported using difficulty walking 100 m, walking 1 km, walking uphill, running, bending or stooping, and climbing stairs; results are not nationally current.

This is an association from an observational survey, not a causal effect.

The sample was restricted to two districts and used the Washington Disability Questionnaire; it should not be generalized to all of India without qualification.

These categories describe any disability and overlap with the mobility-specific estimate; they are not additional people to add to the mobility figure.

The outcome is any disability rather than mobility disability alone, and the cross-sectional design does not establish causation.

This association concerns any disability and NCD status in a localized older population; it is not evidence that NCDs cause mobility disability.

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