Personal tools
Key national statistics
The definition of disability in the Census of 1992 was different than the one of the Labour Force Survey 2002. In 1992, disability was referred to people with limitations in their activities, meaning the persons that their usual activities are limited as a consequence of:
-
some chronic problem;
-
some chronic disease or disability having as a result physical or mental incapability
On the other hand, in 2002, disabled persons were considered those who had a longstanding health problem or disability for 6 months or more or expected to last 6 months or more. The widening of the definition of disability might explain the difference between the numbers of disabled persons
In Cyprus, persons with disabilities (23785) can be classified into the categories displayed in Table 1:
|
Disabilities of perceptive organs |
4.513 (19.0%) |
|
Physical Disabilities |
11.909 (50.1%) |
|
Mental Disabilities |
2.059 (8.6%) |
|
Psychological Disabilities |
2.140 (9.0%) |
|
Other |
2.968 (12.5%) |
|
Not stated |
196 (0.8%) |
| Total | 23785 (100%) |
According to the population census of 1992, 22689 persons aged more than 15 years suffered from a chronic disease or disability (out of a total of 23785). The majority of people with a disability aged 15+ (73.6%) were not working, while 25.2% stated that they were working and 1.2% was unemployed. From those persons that stated that they were working (5712 disabled persons), 4330 (75. 8%) were male and 1382 (24,2%) female.
The majority of the employed workers with disabilities were Production Technicians with a percentage of 25.3%, followed by those working in lower occupations (labourers) (23.9%). Next, with 11.5% were the employees in services and salesmen. Farmers and cattle breeders were in the forth place with 10.5%. Further information is given in the Table 2 below:
|
Number (%) |
Number (%) |
Number (%) |
|
|
Military Forces |
6 (0.1) |
6 (0.1) |
0 (0) |
|
Directors, Legal Officers and Higher Governmental Officers |
93 (1.6) |
89 (2) |
4 (0.3) |
|
Qualified and other specialists |
227 (4) |
162 (3.7) |
65 (4.7) |
|
Technicians, assistants, specialised clerks and relevant |
298 (5.2) |
241 (5.6) |
57 (4.1) |
|
Clerks, typists, cashiers and relevant |
437 (7.7) |
301 (7) |
136 (9.8) |
|
Employees in Services and salespersons |
656 (11.5) |
471 (10.9) |
185 (13.4) |
|
Farmers, cattle breeders, fishermen and specialised labourers |
571 (10) |
415 (8.6) |
185 (13.4) |
|
Production Technicians |
1447 (25.3) |
1378 (31.8) |
69 (5) |
|
Machine operators and Tools and assemblers |
600 (10.5) |
415 (9.6) |
185 (13.4) |
|
Lower occupations (labourers) |
1364 (23.9) |
788 (18.2) |
576 (41.7) |
|
Not stated |
13 (0.2) |
13 (0.3) |
0 (0) |
The following table provides information for the year 2002, on the distribution of the persons with long lasting health problems or disability, according to the existing legal framework.
|
Total number of disabled persons |
53369 |
100 |
28194 |
25175 |
|
Problems with hands or arms |
2761 |
5 |
1409 |
1352 |
|
Problems with legs or feet |
5964 |
11 |
3033 |
2931 |
|
Problems with back or neck |
11393 |
22 |
4987 |
6406 |
|
Difficulty in seeing |
1819 |
3 |
1138 |
681 |
|
Difficulty in hearing |
608 |
1 |
302 |
307 |
|
Speech impediment |
113 |
0 |
61 |
52 |
|
Skin conditions |
359 |
1 |
224 |
135 |
|
Chest or breathing problems |
2808 |
5 |
1472 |
1336 |
|
Heart, blood pressure, circ. Problems |
11053 |
21 |
6854 |
4198 |
|
Stomach, liver, digestive, kidney |
4004 |
8 |
1992 |
2012 |
|
Diabetes |
3889 |
7 |
2480 |
1410 |
|
Epilepsy |
458 |
1 |
240 |
219 |
|
Mental, nervous, emotional problems |
5429 |
10 |
2918 |
2511 |
|
Other progressive illnesses |
2046 |
4 |
623 |
1424 |
|
Other longstanding health problems |
664 |
1 |
462 |
202 |
Graph 1 at the end of the text provides in a graphical form the distribution of the total number of persons with LSHP by problem and sex, while graphs 2 and 3 give the corresponding distribution within the employed and the unemployed population of the disabled persons.
In 2002, 53369 persons with disabilities were registered (aged 16-64), from which 28194 were male (52,8%) and 25175 were female (47,2%). The total employed population in Cyprus for 2002 was 306458 persons, 25513 of which were persons with disabilities (8,3%). The remaining 27856 persons with Long Standing Health Problems (LSHP), corresponding to the 52,2% of the disabled, were not working (Table 4).
|
Total population |
Population with LSHP |
Population without LSHP |
|
|
Total number |
436832 |
53369 (12.2%) |
383463 |
|
Male |
210122 |
28194 (13.4%) |
181928 |
|
Female |
226710 |
25175 (11.1%) |
201535 |
|
Employed population |
Employees with LSHP |
Employees without LSHP |
|
|
Total |
306458 |
25513 (8.3%) |
280946 |
|
Male |
169643 |
16323 (9.6%) |
153320 |
|
Female |
136815 |
9190 (6.7%) |
127625 |
|
Unemployed population |
Unemployed popul. with LSHP |
Unemployed popul. without LSHP |
|
|
Total |
130374 |
27856 |
102518 |
|
Male |
40478 |
11871 |
28608 |
|
Female |
89895 |
15985 |
73910 |
Disablement benefit is payable to any employed person, who as a result of an employment injury, suffers a loss of physical or mental faculty of a degree of not less than 10% with the exception of disablement due to pneumoconiosis, which is compensated from 1%. The benefit may take the form of either a grant (lump sum) or a pension, depending on the degree of disablement. The former is payable for disability between 10% and 19% and the latter for disability 20% and above (no benefit is payable for disability below 10%). The disablement grant is now £1.605 for 10% disablement and rises accordingly for every degree above 10% reaching £3.049 for 19% disablement. The disablement pension consists of (i) the basic pension and (ii) the supplementary pension. The weekly basic disablement pension for 100% disability is 60% of the weekly amount of the basic insurable earnings, increased by 1/3 for the first dependant and 1/6 for each of the second and third dependants. The weekly supplementary pension is 60% to the weekly average of insurable earnings of the beneficiary, above the basic insurable earnings, in the period beginning with the first day of the second year before the year in which the accident occurred and ending with the day of accident. The disablement pension for a degree of disablement below 100% is proportional to the actual degree. However, if the disablement renders the person concerned permanently incapable of work, the disablement benefit is always that which is payable for 100% disablement. A constant attendance allowance of £95.89 per month in 2004 is payable for disablement pensioners needing constant care.
The following Table provides information on the disabled persons according to their marital status, age, education and activity.
|
Female (%) |
Males (%) |
Total (%) |
|
|
11.1 |
13.4 |
12.2 |
|
|
Females |
Males |
Total |
|
|
Single |
4.9 |
9.1 |
7.1 |
|
Married |
11.6 |
14.9 |
13.2 |
|
Widowed |
36.7 |
24.4 |
34.5 |
|
Divorced |
20.7 |
21.9 |
21.0 |
|
Females |
Males |
Total |
|
|
16-24 |
2.1 |
4.4 |
3.2 |
|
25-29 |
2.4 |
6.4 |
4.3 |
|
30-34 |
3.9 |
5.3 |
4.6 |
|
35-39 |
7.4 |
7.3 |
7.3 |
|
40-44 |
11.9 |
13.5 |
12.7 |
|
45-49 |
13.1 |
18.9 |
16.0 |
|
50-54 |
16.0 |
19.0 |
17.5 |
|
55-59 |
28.4 |
28.6 |
28.5 |
|
60-64 |
35.1 |
33.6 |
34.4 |
|
Females |
Males |
Total |
|
|
ISCED 0-2 |
20.6 |
21.9 |
21.2 |
|
ISCED 3 |
6.7 |
10.7 |
8.7 |
|
ISCED 4-6 |
4.5 |
7.2 |
5.8 |
|
Females |
Males |
Total |
|
|
Employed |
6.7 |
9.6 |
8.3 |
|
Unemployed |
13.7 |
27.1 |
19.6 |
|
Inactive |
18.1 |
29.6 |
21.5 |
-
ISCED 0-2: includes all persons with up to lower secondary education or second stage of basic education.
-
ISCED 3: includes persons with (upper) secondary education.
-
ISCED 4-6: includes persons with post-secondary non-tertiary education or tertiary education.
Some statistical data is also available from the Pancyprian Organisation for the Blind. 22.85% of their members that are at working age and compose the 46.8% of the total number of their members are employed on permanent or temporary basis in the public sector or in semi-public organizations, while 41% of the Organization’s members are persons over 63 years old and are considered retired, the remaining 12.2% are children under 18. From the members aged 18-63 (46.8%) the 77.4% can be employed. The rest either receive incapability pension or are housewives. A percentage of 10% receives incapability pension because after their loss of sight, their employment was terminated, and following a medical examination they were considered incapable to work. This was due to the lack of legislative measures that would secure that in case of sight loss or other disability employers should move the employee in another more suitable position. The majority of the blind (62%) are working as telephone operators in the public and semi-public sectors, while bank organisations employ 33% of the blind that can work, and only 5% is employed in the private sector.
- Good practice information
