Across England and Wales one in 25 people (4.3 per cent of the usual private household population; 2.4 million people) have self-reported they are in ‘good' health despite a disability, the 2011 census found.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) reported among the disabled population, younger people are more likely to be in ‘Good' health.
More than half of all of disabled children are in ‘Good' health (55.3%) compared to a fifth (19.7%) of the disabled population aged 85 and over.
Disabled males were generally more likely to be in ‘Good' health compared to disabled females, regardless of the extent of their disability.
Meanwhile the overall proportion of boys, aged 0 to 15, in ‘Good' health despite a disability that limited them a lot (0.9%) was twice as high as it was for girls (0.4%) at this same age in England.
Among the disabled population, people living in the least deprived areas were most likely to report ‘Good' health; from the age of 35 the proportion of disabled people in ‘Good' health in the least deprived areas was around twice the proportion in the most deprived areas, the research said.
Because rates of disability increase with age, the overall proportion of people with ‘Good' health despite a disability was higher among the elderly; at the oldest ages, 85 and over.
Around one in six people were in ‘Good' health despite a disability, compared to around one in 50 children; ages 0 to 15.
In England, Weymouth and Portland had the highest overall proportions of people reporting both ‘Good' health and a disability; 5.7%.
The lowest proportion was in Kensington and Chelsea; 3.6%, the ONS concluded.
