Disabled Kiwis on average earn just over half the income of non-disabled Kiwis, prompting the Human Rights Commission to call for more meaningful work opportunities to be created.

According to Thursday's Stats NZ findings, disabled people earn an average of $458 per week from all income sources, including salaries and government benefits, compared to $833 for non disabled people.

A major reason for the income gap was disabled people typically work fewer hours per week and receive less pay per hour, Stats NZ said.

Disabled people were also less likely to be working.

Just 25 per cent participated in the workforce, although this rose to 45 per cent when disabled Kiwis over the retirement age of 65 were removed from the findings.

Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero described the Stats NZ findings as staggering and a waste of a useful workforce in waiting.

"A diverse workforce is good for business on many levels," she said.

She said diversity did not just include a greater balance between men and women and people from different cultural and sexual backgrounds, but also older people.

She said the Stats NZ findings would help the commission improve its work on helping create more job opportunities for disabled people.