About 18 percent of Israel's adult population is disabled, according to a survey released Sunday by the Health Ministry. That amounts to more than 720,000 people, of whom more than 390,000 or 10 percent of the population is severely handicapped.

Almost 4,900 people were surveyed between 2003 and 2004. Disability was defined as a physical problem of more than six months that caused varying degrees of difficulties in daily functioning.