The persons with disabilities in Moldova total 182,000, 11,700 of whom are children younger than 17. The persons with disabilities represent 5.1% of the country’s population, while the children with disabilities 1.7% of the total number of children. The data were provided by the National Bureau of Statistics before the International Day of Persons with Disabilities that is celebrated on December 3, IPN reports.

According to the Bureau, the men make up 52.5% of the persons with disabilities. Of the total number of persons with disabilities, over 181,000 are under the supervision of state social insurance bodies, while 900 are supervised by the police. Of those who are supervised by the state social insurance bodies, 75% are disabled pensioners, while the recipients of allowances represent 25%.

Each tenth pensioner has a severe disability. 62% of the persons with disabilities are from rural areas.

The children are classed as disabled mainly because of congenital malformations and mental and behavioral disorders, while the adults owing to tumors, diseases of the circulatory system and nervous system. The disabled grownups are mainly older than 30.

At the end of 2016, the social assistance bodies supervised 500 disabled children who lacked parental care. 72% of these were from rural areas.