China to launch third national disability survey in 2027

China will launch its third national sample survey of people with disabilities in September 2027 to obtain more accurate data for policymaking on a population currently estimated at 85 million, officials said on Thursday.

The survey will cover about 2.8 million people, or two in every 1,000 people, said Cheng Kai, head of the survey's leading group and chairman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

The reference date for data collection is Sept 1, 2027. Fieldwork will begin that month and continue through the end of the year, Cheng told a conference in Beijing.

"The current figure of 85 million people with disabilities is still based on projections made 20 years ago," he said. "Without a clear baseline and accurate data, targeted assistance and common prosperity lack a scientific basis."

The survey will collect information on individuals' basic circumstances, disability status, causes of disability, disability certificate status, living conditions, service needs and other relevant factors.

The preparatory phase will run through August 2027 and will include the establishment of survey offices at various levels and the revision of disability assessment criteria.

Pilot surveys are planned for 2026 in Shunyi district of Beijing and Anyang, Henan province.

Data processing and publication are scheduled for 2028.

Cheng stressed that falsifying, concealing, refusing or delaying reports would be strictly prohibited, calling it a "red line" that must not be crossed.

The previous two national disability surveys, conducted in 1987 and 2006, provided the scientific basis for the establishment of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, the enactment of the Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons in 1990, and poverty alleviation programs targeting people with disabilities.