Published 2 September 2026
Last checked: 2 September 2026. This page is a maintained index of verified UK mobility statistics. Every figure links to the dataset it came from — either an official source we have read directly, or a Review Mobility dataset built from public records with published methodology. All of it is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with attribution and a link.
The key UK mobility statistics at a glance
- 10.4 million people (17.8%) in England and Wales are disabled — ONS Census 2021.
- 634,104 people were registered with NHS wheelchair services in England at the end of March 2026 — our analysis of NHS England data.
- 82.0% of NHS wheelchair patients got their chair within 18 weeks in 2025/26, against a 92% standard; only 8 of 42 ICBs met it and 32,586 people waited longer — ICB league table.
- 2,063,290 people in England and Wales receive PIP’s enhanced mobility rate (£80 a week in 2026/27) — PIP mobility league table, DWP data to April 2026.
- 1,760,770 people receive Attendance Allowance, up 6.0% in a year. One in four over-66s in Hartlepool gets Attendance Allowance. In Richmond it is one in 11 — Attendance Allowance league table, DWP data to November 2025.
- 934 people died from stair falls in England in 2024, up 45% from 642 in 2013 — our analysis of ONS death registrations.
- 45.8% of the 323 stairlift companies incorporated in Britain since 1991 have dissolved; the median lifespan of the failed ones was 2.6 years — stairlift company survival study, Companies House records.
- 12 people were killed and 323 injured in collisions involving mobility scooters in 2024 — DfT data analysed by Agilysis for Surewise, reported by Road Safety GB.
- Half of the mobility aids we recommend cost less than £50: 55 of the 98 products in the UK mobility aid price index were under £50 at the August 2026 snapshot, with a median of £40.
Statistics by topic
Stairlifts
Stairlift statistics UK — company survival rates, stair-fall deaths, 2026 prices and Disabled Facilities Grant funding, drawing on our survival study, stair-fall deaths series and price research.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchair statistics UK — why no official user count exists, NHS waiting times by ICB, the 18-week standard and disability prevalence, drawing on the NHS wheelchair waiting times league table.
Mobility scooters
Mobility scooter statistics UK — the class 2/class 3 rules, casualty data, PIP funding and prices.
Funding and grants
The Attendance Allowance league table, the PIP mobility league table, the Disabled Facilities Grant postcode lottery and the Independence Map.
Prices
The UK mobility aid price index (98 products, tracked quarterly) and the UK mobility equipment price index (researched ranges including installed equipment), plus home adaptations vs care home costs.
What nobody counts
The gaps in the official record are as telling as the figures. No official body counts UK wheelchair users — NHS England’s own commissioned review (Frontier Economics, May 2022) flagged “limited data collection on the number of wheelchair users”, per the House of Lords Library briefing. No official body counts mobility scooter users, because class 2 scooters are unregistered by design. And no official body counts stairlift installations or tracks what happens to warranties when a stairlift company dissolves. Where a count does not exist, we say so rather than repeating an unsourced estimate.
Using these statistics
Journalists, researchers and public bodies may reuse any figure on this page and the linked datasets under CC BY 4.0: credit “Review Mobility” and link to the dataset page. For questions about methodology, or figures cut to your area, contact us via the editorial team page. Our method, including the least-favourable-figure rule and our corrections policy, is documented there.
Frequently asked questions
How many disabled people are there in the UK?
Census 2021 recorded 10.4 million disabled people in England and Wales — 17.8% of the population. Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate censuses, so no single UK-wide census figure exists.
How many wheelchair users are there in the UK?
There is no official count. The nearest measured figure is 634,104 people registered with NHS wheelchair services in England at the end of March 2026, which excludes private buyers and the rest of the UK.
How many people get mobility benefits?
2,063,290 people in England and Wales receive PIP’s enhanced mobility rate and 1,760,770 receive Attendance Allowance, on the latest DWP data. Both figures rise every quarter.
How dangerous are stairs for older people?
Stair falls killed 934 people in England in 2024, up 45% since 2013, with the steepest rise among people aged 75 to 79 — from our analysis of ONS death registrations.
Where do these statistics come from?
Every figure links to its source: ONS, NHS England, DWP and GOV.UK publications we have read directly, or Review Mobility datasets built from public records with methodology published on each page. Nothing here is quoted from an unsourced estimate.
Change log
2 September 2026 — hub first published. Scheduled updates: DWP PIP statistics (15 September 2026), DWP benefits statistics (15 September 2026), ONS 2025 death registrations (October 2026), Companies House quarterly (29 October 2026), NHS wheelchair data Q2 2026/27 (around November 2026), price index edition 2 (November 2026).
Published 2 September 2026