Overall, about 5.7 per cent of Australians say they needed assistance in 2021.
This compares to about 5.1 per cent in 2016.
Women were more likely to need assistance at 6.1 per cent compared to men at 5.5 per cent.
A larger proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, about 8.2 per cent, have a need for help compared to non-Indigenous Australians (5.9 per cent).
About three in four people who needed assistance in 2021 lived with their family, compared to about 20 per cent who live alone.
Of those who didn't live in a private home, about two in three lived in a nursing home.
Women are also more likely to do more unpaid disability care work, with 14 per cent doing care compared to 10 per cent of men.
The bulk of female unpaid carers were women aged 35 to 69, easily outnumbering men in similar age demographics
Tasmania has the largest share of people who need assistance with core activities, at 6.8 per cent of its population. The Northern Territory has the lowest at 3.5 per cent.
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