SUMMARYThe purpose of this paper was to investigate how many epileptics had a diminished capacity to work in proportion to patients suffering from other neurological and psychiatric illnesses, and the degree of disability in this illness as compared to others.The data was obtained from the two Expert Commissions on Disability (from Novi Sad and Subotica, Yugoslavia) and covered the 4 years 1963–1966. During this time 29, 664 persons applied and were considered for certification as invalids.Neurological and psychiatric illnesses constituted 5376 cases (18%), of which 3924 (72 %) patients had diminished work‐capacity. These figures included only those patients in whom neurological or psychiatric illness was the primary diagnosis. Neurological and psychiatric illness constituted 18% of the total number of invalids.The psychoneuroses were responsible for the largest number of invalids, 38 %. Neurological illnesses and their consequences were responsible for the second largest number of invalids, 24 %. Next in frequency was the group consisting of other psychiatric illnesses with 22%. In fourth place were the endogenous psychoses, 9% and lastly, the epilepsies with 7%.Of the disabled epileptics 77 % were men and 23 % women.The epileptics were most frequently classified in the first invalid category (completely disabled) with 191 cases (67%). Second place was taken by the third invalid category (unable to participate in pre‐illness employment) with 47 cases (23 %), and the fewest epileptics were in the second invalid category (partially disabled) with 19 cases (9%).The most commonly afflicted group of epileptics consisted of unskilled workers (128 or 63 %) between the age of 31–40 years (120 or 59 %) after 11–20 years in employment (12