Discrimination in everyday life for people with disabilities

In 2024, 9.4% of people with disabilities (activity limitation) aged 16 or over, in the EU, felt discriminated against when in contact with administrative offices or public services, more than double the share registered among people without disabilities (4.0%).

When looking for housing, 8.2% of people with disabilities felt discriminated against compared to 5.2% of people without any disability.

Similarly, in public spaces and education institutions, more people with disabilities reported feeling discriminated against than people without disabilities: 5.0% vs 3.0% in public places and 4.1% vs 2.3% in education institutions.

Source dataset: ilc_atsd01

Highest self-perceived discrimination rates among people with disabilities in public spaces: Estonia and Spain

At the national level, in all EU countries, the shares of people with disabilities who felt discriminated against in administrative offices and public services were higher than among those without.

In 2024, the highest shares were recorded in Estonia (14.6%) and Spain (14.5%). These were followed by Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden with 12.8%, 12.5% and 12.3%, respectively. The lowest shares were in Cyprus and Italy (both 3.1%), Croatia (4.3%) and Hungary (4.5%).

Source dataset: ilc_atsd01

This news article marks the beginning of EU Diversity Month, which this year raises awareness about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and across our societies.