National estimates of disability prevalence produced using 2023 SIPP data may be higher than estimates from other federal surveys that use the same disability measure. In general, SIPP data suggest that disability prevalence has increased in the U.S. since 2008, particularly among adults aged 40 and over. This pattern is not consistently observed in other federal surveys. Disability estimates from the American Community Survey, for example, suggest that disability prevalence rose slightly among adults aged 40 and older between 2008 and 2014 and then declined between 2014 and 2018.

It is difficult to determine the exact cause of rising disability rates in SIPP and the Census Bureau has investigated several possible explanations for these rising disability rates. More information can be found in the working paper Understanding Changes in the Disability Prevalence in the 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation: Three Explanations Considered.

Overall, higher disability estimates in SIPP do not appear to result from errors in data collection or data processing. There is some evidence that differences in SIPP sample composition between panels have contributed to changes in disability prevalence estimates. Household members of the 2014 SIPP Panel, for example, reported poorer self-rated health, on average, than household members of the 2008 SIPP Panel. Survey instrument changes are another potential explanation for the jump in disability prevalence, although it should be noted that the question items used to estimate the proportion of the population with any disability (RDIS) have remained consistent since 2008.

The 2023 SIPP disability data can be used to examine associations between disability and other variables over time, as well as to examine group differences in disability. However, we encourage caution if using these data for population estimates of disability, given that SIPP disability estimates do not necessarily align with estimates from other federal surveys.