People with disabilities in the EU are less likely to participate in social life
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New Eurostat data shows that the participation of people with disabilities in public life remains lower than that of other EU citizens. In 2022, only 10.3% of people with disabilities participated in formal volunteering, compared to 13.0% of people without disabilities. There is also a difference in informal volunteering: 13.3% versus 14.7%.
However, among young people (16-44 years old) the opposite picture is observed. In this age group, people with disabilities are more active than their non-disabled peers: 14.8% vs. 12.8% in formal volunteering, 19.5% vs. 14.7% in informal volunteering, and 12.4% vs. 8.5% in political or civic engagement. This may indicate a higher level of solidarity and inclusion among youth with disabilities.
The situation changes in older age groups. Among people over 65 years of age, the difference becomes particularly noticeable. Only 7.7 per cent of people with disabilities participated in formal volunteering, while among their non-disabled peers the figure reached 13.5 per cent. In informal volunteering, the figures were 8.9% and 14.5% respectively.
These data emphasise the gap in the level of social inclusion among people with disabilities. Young people show high levels of civic engagement, but as they get older, barriers, whether physical limitations or social barriers, become more tangible. This is an important signal for European authorities, who will have to develop strategies to increase inclusion across all age groups.
