19/01/2024 (Agence Europe) – Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, launched a new database on disability on 11 January, facilitating access to comparative European statistics on people with disabilities. This initiative, welcomed by the European Disability Forum in a press release dated 18 January, represents a decisive step forward in the availability of figures, which until now have been difficult to locate. Key information includes the prevalence of disability in Finland (20.7%) and France (19.5%), as well as the high risk of poverty and social exclusion among disabled people in Bulgaria (49.9%) and the lowest percentage of social spending on disability benefits in Malta (0.6%). Covering areas ranging from access to employment to social participation, this resource is a valuable tool for monitoring progress and holding decision-makers accountable for protecting the rights of people with disabilities. (NP)