A method for hierarchical disparity estimation on an image pair, wherein image pyramids are created (10) by successively downscaling each image of the image pair, and an apparatus (20) configured to perform the method are described. An initial disparity estimator (22) applies (11) a full search on a highest level of the image pyramids to determine initial disparity estimates, the highest level having the lowest resolution. A disparity propagator (23) passes (12) the initial disparity estimates to a next lower level of the image pyramids. An allocator (24) then partitions (13) the pixels of each remaining hierarchy level of the image pyramids into two or more groups of pixels, where each pixel in a group of pixels can be processed independently from remaining pixels of that group of pixels. A disparity estimator (25) estimates (14) disparity values for the pixels of a first group of pixels utilizing disparity estimates from a next higher level of the image pyramids. The disparity estimator (25) further estimates (15) disparity values for the pixels of remaining groups of pixels utilizing disparity estimates from a previously processed group of pixels in that hierarchy level.