A report has found that disability rates among adults are broadly similar in Northern Ireland and the Republic.
The study, by the Ecomomic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), is based on census data.
It shows that 23% of 20 to 69 year olds in the north have a disability.
The figure stands at 22% in the south.
However, the severity of disability has been found to differ significantly.
Northern Ireland recorded a higher share of people experiencing more severe disabilities, at 11%, compared to 6% in the Republic.
Severe disability refers to respondents reporting the highest level of limitation.
The report is the first side-by-side comparison of disability prevalence on both sides of the border based on census data gathered between 2021 and 2022.
Disability rates were found to increase with age in both jurisdictions, but the rise was higher in Northern Ireland.
Mapping disability across the island shows high-prevalence clusters in the north-west and in areas of the main cities of Belfast and Dublin.
The ESRI said this likely reflects patterns of deprivation as well as age profiles.
There is no consistent "border pattern", some adjoining counties along the border show similar prevalence rates.
For example, high rates were evident in Donegal, and Derry City and Strabane. There were lower rates in Monaghan, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.
The report also found that higher educational attainment is strongly associated with lower disability rates, particularly in Northern Ireland.
Unpaid caring roles are linked to a higher likelihood of reporting a disability, especially in the Republic.
The report was published as part of a joint research programme between the ESRI and the Department of the Taoiseach's Shared Island Unit.
The ESRI said the findings emphasise the importance of more comparable data for all-island research.
Author Anne Devlin said: "This report provides a comparative analysis of disability rates in Northern Ireland and Ireland and is timely given ongoing policy debate on disability-related issues, such as social security, in both jurisdictions.
"Disability rates also show a mirrored pattern along the border, with high rate counties in Ireland aligning with neighbouring high rate counties in Northern Ireland, and the same for areas with lower rates." Ms Devlin added.
