Population
Assistance
Need for assistance measures people who report needing help with self-care, body movement, or communication because of a disability, a long-term health condition, or older age. It is a high-needs indicator rather than a general measure of disability.
About this topic
Need for assistance measures people who report needing help with self-care, body movement, or communication because of a disability, a long-term health condition, or older age. It is a high-needs indicator rather than a general measure of disability.
This topic is useful for planning accessible facilities, care services, respite, and support for carers. The measure is based on self-report in the Census, so it should be interpreted with care and read alongside unpaid care and other disability-related indicators.
Interpretation notes
- The measure is self-reported and records need for help with core activities, so it is not a complete measure of disability prevalence.
- It applies to all persons and is strongest as an indicator of higher support need when read with unpaid care and ageing data.
Key insight
In 2021, 5-14 year olds was the most common age group among residents who needed assistance with core activities in Gladstone (R), accounting for 5.9% (568 people). This share was higher than Regional Qld (5%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in 5-14 year olds, which increased by 283 people and 2.8 percentage points.
Section overview
Need for assistance with core activities by age
Gladstone (R) - Persons (Usual residence)
This table summarises assistance for Gladstone (R) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.
Chart view
Need for assistance with core activities by age snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Gladstone (R), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.
Bars reflect 2021 counts; benchmark rates remain in the metrics.
0-4
5-14
15-19
20-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75-84
85+
Need for assistance with core activities by age change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
0-4
+13
+0.5pp
5-14
+283
+2.8pp
15-19
+77
+1.8pp
20-24
+40
+1.5pp
25-34
+52
+0.8pp
35-44
+35
+0.5pp
45-54
+64
+0.8pp
55-64
+200
+1.5pp
65-74
+174
+0.5pp
75-84
+180
+2.1pp
85+
+72
-2.6pp
Data table
Assistance for Gladstone (R). Need for assistance with core activities by age. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | pp | |
| 0-4 | 71 | 1.8% | 1.5% | 58 | 1.3% | 1.2% | +13 | +0.5pp |
| 5-14 | 568 | 5.9% | 5.0% | 285 | 3.1% | 3.5% | +283 | +2.8pp |
| 15-19 | 183 | 4.6% | 4.0% | 106 | 2.8% | 2.9% | +77 | +1.8pp |
| 20-24 | 111 | 3.5% | 2.8% | 71 | 2.0% | 2.2% | +40 | +1.5pp |
| 25-34 | 162 | 2.1% | 2.1% | 110 | 1.3% | 1.9% | +52 | +0.8pp |
| 35-44 | 229 | 2.7% | 2.5% | 194 | 2.2% | 2.5% | +35 | +0.5pp |
| 45-54 | 352 | 3.9% | 3.8% | 288 | 3.1% | 3.8% | +64 | +0.8pp |
| 55-64 | 561 | 6.5% | 6.0% | 361 | 5.0% | 6.0% | +200 | +1.5pp |
| 65-74 | 561 | 9.8% | 9.6% | 387 | 9.3% | 9.1% | +174 | +0.5pp |
| 75-84 | 518 | 21.7% | 20.4% | 338 | 19.6% | 19.3% | +180 | +2.1pp |
| 85+ | 342 | 50.4% | 47.7% | 270 | 53.0% | 46.7% | +72 | -2.6pp |
| Total | 3,663 | 5.8% | 6.3% | 2,474 | 4.0% | 5.5% | +1,189 | +1.8pp |