Source: IHC New Zealand
Once again, new research delivers a stark reality check on the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders with intellectual disability.
IHC’s latest report From Data to Dignity 2026: Health and Wellbeing Indicators for New Zealanders with Intellectual Disability uses government data to show how inequities for New Zealanders with intellectual disability remain largely unchanged or in some cases, worse.
IHC Director of Advocacy Tania Thomas says the latest research paints a shocking picture of people with intellectual disabilities being forgotten in government policy.
“The numbers are distressing, but sadly not new,” Tania says. “We began this work in 2023 to show how government data could and should be used to track outcomes for people with intellectual disability. IHC continues to provide government with evidence that shows they need to do better.”
The report commissioned by IHC was produced with research organisation Kōtātā Insight. It builds on IHC’s groundbreaking 2023 report, which was the first to use the government’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) to track outcomes for people with intellectual disability.
“This update is a reality check. The government’s Disability Strategy can be enhanced by including urgent action to address these persistent inequities,” Tania says.
Key issues emerging include:
- Increasing injury rates, diabetes, and dementia
- High emergency department use and injury-related hospitalisations particularly among women with intellectual disability
- Evidence of barriers to ACC access, with lower claim rates despite higher injury prevalence
- A concerning rise in young people leaving school without qualifications
- Greater exposure to housing pressure with rising placement on social housing waiting lists, particularly for Māori and Pacific children with intellectual disability.
Alongside these trends, the data also highlights longstanding disparities that continue to persist. People with intellectual disability live on average 17 years less than the general population and are still significantly more likely to experience poor health, justice system involvement, and economic exclusion.
IHC is calling for urgent Government action, including:
- Regular, public reporting on the health and wellbeing of people with intellectual disability
- Targeted action to address inequities for Māori and Pacific people with intellectual disability
- Improved health literacy, disability-aware health services, and better data collection to track outcomes.
- The full report, interactive web application, and Easy Read version are available at: ihc.org.nz/advocacy.
The report can be found on IHC’s website, along with a link to the Visual Insights app, which visualises the data by location, demographics and prevalence. (ref. https://www.ihc.org.nz/get-involved/advocacy/from-data-to-dignity-2026 )
Notes
Report findings include:
People with intellectual disability:
- Live 17 years less on average than the general population, with Māori men most disadvantaged, and this has not improved
- Are 3.3 times more likely to be imprisoned
- Are 1.6 times more likely to have diabetes
- Are 3 times more likely to have a mood disorder
- Are almost 7 times more likely to rely on a benefit
- Are increasingly hospitalised for avoidable events and conditions
- Only 21% of adults with intellectual disability in paid employment, compared with 78% of the general population
- Children with intellectual disability are 7 times more likely to be placed in state care
- Parents with intellectual disability are 16 times more likely to have children removed
- School engagement remains low and there are higher suspension rates – 2.8 times more likely than other students
- Young people aged 18-24 remain far more likely to leave school without qualifications.
- Higher rates of crime victimisation and justice system involvement.
