Objective To describe and analyse the prevalence and epidemiological feature of people with disability caused by injury in the Chinese population, and then to provide the scientific basis for the prevention and control of injury.

Method The statistical description and inference were used to analyse the data of the Second China National Sample Survey on injury-caused Disability. Cluster analysis was used to analyse the differences in regions.

Result The overall prevalence of disability caused by injury was 99.68/10 000 which occupied 15.59% of all disability (multiple disability was excluded). Physical disability and hearing disability account for 65.59% and 23.35% of all the injury-caused disability respectively, while those ranked Grade IV and III make up the overwhelming majority (55.14% and 25.83% respectively). There were significant differences in the distribution of injury-caused disability among different age groups (χ²=23 106.14, p<0.001) and gender (χ²=2 161.74, p<0.001). Agedness and men have a higher risk of encountering an injury-caused disability. Five clusters were identified by cluster analysis which injury-caused disability were severe in the fifth (Sichuan province) and. the fourth cluster (Hunan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Ningxia province).

Conclusion The problem raised by injury-caused disability in the Chinese population cannot be ignored. Physical disability and hearing disability were the two main types. Age, gender and region were related to injury-caused disability and different-aimed strategy should be worked out to decrease the injury-caused disability in China.