Hearing Loss Statistics 2026
This page collects hearing loss statistics from health agencies, national surveys and peer reviewed studies. It covers prevalence worldwide and in the United States, the UK, Australia and Canada, how hearing loss changes with age, projections to 2050, the cost of unaddressed hearing loss and the gap between people who could benefit from hearing aids and people who use them. Data years run from 2011 to 2026; each figure states the year its data describes.
By the HearSmart research desk · Updated November 7, 2026 · 54 numbers drawn from 17 publishers and reports
Short answer
About 1.57 billion people worldwide, one in five, have some hearing loss (Global Burden of Disease, The Lancet), and WHO projects nearly 2.5 billion by 2050, with unaddressed hearing loss costing almost $1 trillion a year. In the U.S., about 15% of adults report trouble hearing (NIDCD), yet only 29.2% of adults 71 and older with hearing loss use hearing aids (JAMA Network Open).
Headline numbers
- 20%1.57 billion people worldwide had some degree of hearing loss in 2019, about 20% of the global population, according to the Global Burden of Disease study.The Lancet
- 430 million430 million people, over 5% of the world's population, need rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss, including 34 million children, WHO estimates.World Health Organization
- 2.5 billionNearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss by 2050, and more than 700 million will need hearing rehabilitation, WHO projects.World Health Organization
- $1 trillionUnaddressed hearing loss costs the world almost $1 trillion a year, WHO estimates.World Health Organization
- 37.5 millionAbout 15% of American adults, or 37.5 million people aged 18 and over, report some trouble hearing (NIDCD, based on 2012 National Health Interview Survey data).National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- 65.3%65.3% of U.S. adults aged 71 and older, about 21.5 million people, had hearing loss on audiometric testing in 2021.JAMA Network Open
- 29.2%Only 29.2% of U.S. adults aged 71 and older with hearing loss, about 6.4 million people, used hearing aids in 2021.JAMA Network Open
- 18 millionMore than 18 million people in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or have tinnitus, one in three people, according to RNID's 2026 estimate.RNID
Reading the numbers
Hearing loss is one of the most common health conditions in the world. The Global Burden of Disease study, published in The Lancet, counts 1.57 billion people with some degree of hearing loss in 2019, or 20% of the global population, and WHO counts 430 million whose loss is disabling enough to need rehabilitation. The two figures measure different thresholds, which explains the gap. Nearly 80% of people with disabling hearing loss live in low and middle income countries, where WHO finds that 93% of low income countries have fewer than one audiologist per million people.
National figures depend heavily on how hearing is measured. NIDCD reports that 15% of U.S. adults say they have some trouble hearing, the National Center for Health Statistics found 13.0% with some difficulty in 2019, and Statistics Canada's audiometric survey found hearing loss in 38% of adults aged 20 to 79 because it counts even slight loss. RNID's figure of 18 million people in the UK also includes tinnitus. Australia's Department of Health uses 3.6 million, one in six.
Age is the dominant driver. NIDCD data show disabling hearing loss rising from about 5% of U.S. adults aged 45 to 54 to 55% of those 75 and older, and a 2021 audiometric study in JAMA Network Open found hearing loss in 65.3% of adults 71 and older and 96.2% of those 90 and older. Because populations are ageing, WHO and the Global Burden of Disease team both project close to 2.5 billion people with hearing loss by 2050, a 56% increase even though age-specific rates stay stable.
The treatment gap is wide. About 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from hearing aids, but fewer than one in three adults 70 and older with hearing loss have used them, and only 16% of adults 20 to 69. In the UK, RNID counts 10 million people who could benefit and 3 million users, even though the NHS supplies 69% of devices free (BIHIMA). WHO estimates unaddressed hearing loss costs almost $1 trillion a year and that every dollar spent on hearing care returns nearly $16.
Hearing loss prevalence worldwide
- 1.
1.57 billion people worldwide had some degree of hearing loss in 2019, about 20% of the global population, according to the Global Burden of Disease study.
The Lancet, Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990-2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (Mar 2021)
Exact wording at the source
An estimated 1·57 billion (95% UI 1·51–1·64) people had hearing loss in 2019, accounting for 20·3% (19·5–21·1) of the global population.
- 2.
430 million people, over 5% of the world's population, need rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss, including 34 million children, WHO estimates.
World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Over 5% of the world’s population – or 430 million people – require rehabilitation to address their disabling hearing loss (including 34 million children).
- 3.
403 million people worldwide had moderate or more severe hearing loss in 2019 after adjusting for hearing aid use, and 430 million before that adjustment.
The Lancet, Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990-2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (Mar 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Of these, 403·3 million (357·3–449·5) people had hearing loss that was moderate or higher in severity after adjusting for hearing aid use, and 430·4 million (381·7–479·6) without adjustment.
- 4.
74% of people with hearing loss worldwide, about 1.17 billion, had mild hearing loss in 2019.
The Lancet, Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990-2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (Mar 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Of these, 1·17 billion (1·12–1·22) people (74·3% [71·8–76·8]) had mild hearing loss.
- 5.
Nearly 80% of people with disabling hearing loss live in low and middle income countries, according to WHO.
World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Nearly 80% of people with disabling hearing loss live in low- and middle-income countries.
- 6.
62% of all people with hearing impairment in 2019 were older than 50, while 4.4% were younger than 15.
The Lancet, Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990-2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (Mar 2021)
Exact wording at the source
In 2019, 62·1% (95% UI 60·2–63·9) of all people with hearing impairment were older than 50 years, and 4·4% (3·9–5·0) were younger than 15 years (69·7 million individuals [59·9–78·8]).
- 7.
38% of Canadian adults aged 20 to 79 had audiometrically measured hearing loss and 37% had tinnitus in the past year (Canadian Health Measures Survey, 2012 to 2015).
Statistics Canada, Hearing health of Canadian adults (Oct 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Overall, 38% of adults aged 20 to 79 years had hearing loss, while 37% had tinnitus.
Hearing loss in the United States
- 8.
About 15% of American adults, or 37.5 million people aged 18 and over, report some trouble hearing (NIDCD, based on 2012 National Health Interview Survey data).
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness (Sep 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) ages 18 and over report some trouble hearing.
- 9.
1 in 8 people in the U.S. aged 12 or older, about 30 million, has hearing loss in both ears on standard hearing exams (NIDCD, from a 2011 analysis of NHANES data).
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness (Sep 2024)
Exact wording at the source
1 in 8 people in the United States (13%, or 30 million) ages 12 or older has hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing examinations.
- 10.
13.0% of U.S. adults had some difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid in 2019.
National Center for Health Statistics, Hearing Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2019 (Jul 2021)
Exact wording at the source
In 2019, 13.0% of adults aged 18 and over had some difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid and 1.6% either had a lot of difficulty hearing or could not hear at all, even when using a hearing aid.
- 11.
4.1% of U.S. adults aged 65 and over had a lot of difficulty hearing or could not hear at all in 2019, compared with 0.6% of adults aged 18 to 44.
National Center for Health Statistics, Hearing Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2019 (Jul 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Having a lot of difficulty hearing or being unable to hear at all also increased with age from 0.6% among those aged 18–44, 1.5% among those aged 45–64, and 4.1% among those aged 65 and over.
- 12.
About 25 million U.S. adults, roughly 10%, had tinnitus lasting at least 5 minutes in the past year.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness (Sep 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Roughly 10% of the U.S. adult population, or about 25 million Americans, has experienced tinnitus lasting at least 5 minutes in the past year.
- 13.
About 1 in 9 people in the U.S. working population has hearing difficulty, according to NIOSH.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, About Occupational Hearing Loss (Dec 2024)
Exact wording at the source
About 1 in 9 people in the U.S. working population has hearing difficulty.
- 14.
65.3% of U.S. adults aged 71 and older, about 21.5 million people, had hearing loss on audiometric testing in 2021.
JAMA Network Open, Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use Among US Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 71 Years and Older (Jul 2023)
Exact wording at the source
In this cohort study of a nationally representative sample of 2803 older adults, 65.3% (representing 21.5 million individuals) of those aged 71 years or older had hearing loss, and by age 90 years, 96.2% of adults had hearing loss.
Hearing loss in the UK and Australia
- 15.
More than 18 million people in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or have tinnitus, one in three people, according to RNID's 2026 estimate.
RNID, Prevalence of hearing loss, tinnitus and British Sign Language in the UK (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
There are over 18 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus – that’s one in three people.
- 16.
2.4 million people in the UK have hearing loss at a level where they would struggle to hear most conversational speech.
RNID, Prevalence of hearing loss, tinnitus and British Sign Language in the UK (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
2.4 million people have a level of hearing loss that means they would struggle to hear most conversational speech
- 17.
9 million people of working age in the UK have some degree of hearing loss, RNID estimates.
RNID, Prevalence of hearing loss, tinnitus and British Sign Language in the UK (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
9 million people of working age have some degree of hearing loss
- 18.
Almost 80% of people in the UK aged 70 or over have hearing loss, compared with 45% of people over 40.
RNID, Prevalence of hearing loss, tinnitus and British Sign Language in the UK (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
By age group, the proportion of people who have hearing loss is: 45% of people over 40 55% of people over 50 65% of people over 60 almost 80% of people aged 70 or over
- 19.
An estimated 3.6 million Australians, one in six, experience some form of hearing impairment, according to the Australian Government's Roadmap for Hearing Health.
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Roadmap for Hearing Health (Feb 2019)
Exact wording at the source
It can come as a surprise to many that an estimated 3.6 million or one in six Australians experience some form of hearing impairment.
- 20.
834,048 Australians received support from the government Hearing Services Program in 2024 to 2025.
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Hearing Services Program (Jul 2025)
Exact wording at the source
834,048 Australians received program support in 2024-25
- 21.
446,226 hearing devices were fitted through Australia's Hearing Services Program in 2024 to 2025.
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Hearing Services Program (Jul 2025)
Exact wording at the source
446,226 hearing devices were fitted in 2024–25
- 22.
Up to 90% of children in some remote parts of Australia have some form of ear disease at any time, the Roadmap for Hearing Health reports.
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Roadmap for Hearing Health (Feb 2019)
Exact wording at the source
In some remote parts of Australia up to 90 per cent of children experience some form of ear disease at any time.
Chart
Share of people in the UK with hearing loss, by age
RNID estimate for the UK population, 2026. The 70 or over value is described by RNID as almost 80%.
- Over 4045%
- Over 5055%
- Over 6065%
- 70 or over80%
Source: RNID, Prevalence of hearing loss, tinnitus and British Sign Language in the UK
Hearing loss by age
- 23.
Over 25% of people older than 60 worldwide have disabling hearing loss, according to WHO.
World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, among those older than 60 years, over 25% are affected by disabling hearing loss.
- 24.
About 95.1 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 live with hearing loss worldwide, WHO estimates.
World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Around 95.1 million children aged 5-19 years live with hearing loss worldwide.
- 25.
55% of U.S. adults aged 75 and older have disabling hearing loss, compared with about 5% of adults aged 45 to 54 (NHANES 2015 to 2020).
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness (Sep 2024)
Exact wording at the source
About 5% of adults ages 45-54 have disabling hearing loss. The rate increases to 10% for adults ages 55-64. 22% of those ages 65-74 and 55% of those who are 75 and older have disabling hearing loss.
- 26.
26.8% of U.S. adults aged 65 and over had some difficulty hearing even with a hearing aid in 2019, compared with 6.3% of adults aged 18 to 44.
National Center for Health Statistics, Hearing Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2019 (Jul 2021)
Exact wording at the source
The percentage having some difficulty hearing increased with age among adults, from 6.3% among those aged 18–44, 13.6% among those aged 45–64, and 26.8% among those aged 65 and over.
- 27.
96.2% of U.S. adults aged 90 and older had hearing loss on audiometric testing in 2021.
JAMA Network Open, Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use Among US Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 71 Years and Older (Jul 2023)
Exact wording at the source
The prevalence was higher among White, male, lower-income, and lower education attainment subpopulations and increased with age, such that 96.2% (95% CI, 93.9%-98.6%) of adults aged 90 years and older had hearing loss.
- 28.
More than 98% of U.S. newborns were screened for hearing loss in 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Data and Statistics About Hearing Loss in Children (May 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Based on data collected by CDC from states and territories for year 2022, More than 98% of U.S. newborns were screened for hearing loss.
- 29.
Permanent hearing loss was identified in 1.7 per 1,000 U.S. babies screened in 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Data and Statistics About Hearing Loss in Children (May 2025)
Exact wording at the source
The prevalence of hearing loss in 2022 was 1.7 per 1,000 babies screened for hearing loss.
Chart
U.S. adults with disabling hearing loss, by age
NIDCD calculations from NHANES 2015 to 2020; disabling means 35 dB or more in the better ear.
- 45 to 545%
- 55 to 6410%
- 65 to 7422%
- 75 and older55%
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
Projections to 2050 and avoidable causes
- 30.
Nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss by 2050, and more than 700 million will need hearing rehabilitation, WHO projects.
World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss, and more than 700 million will require hearing rehabilitation.
- 31.
The number of people with hearing loss is projected to rise 56% between 2019 and 2050, to about 2.45 billion, while age-standardised prevalence stays stable.
The Lancet, Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990-2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (Mar 2021)
Exact wording at the source
By 2050, a projected 2·45 billion (95% UI 2·35–2·56) people will have hearing loss, a 56·1% (47·3–65·2) increase from 2019, despite stable age-standardised prevalence
- 32.
About 698 million people are projected to have moderate to complete hearing loss in 2050.
The Lancet, Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990-2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (Mar 2021)
Exact wording at the source
An estimated 698·4 million (617·7–777·8) people will have moderate-to-complete hearing loss in 2050
- 33.
By 2050, 1 in every 10 people worldwide, over 700 million, is expected to have disabling hearing loss.
World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
It is estimated that by 2050 over 700 million people – or 1 in every 10 people – will have disabling hearing loss.
- 34.
Up to 1.35 billion people aged 12 to 34 worldwide could be at risk of hearing loss from unsafe listening, a 2022 meta-analysis estimates.
BMJ Global Health, Prevalence and global estimates of unsafe listening practices in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Nov 2022)
Exact wording at the source
The global estimated number of young people who could be at risk of hearing loss from exposure to unsafe listening practices ranged from 0.67 to 1.35 billion.
- 35.
23.81% of adolescents and young adults are exposed to unsafe listening levels from personal listening devices, according to pooled studies.
BMJ Global Health, Prevalence and global estimates of unsafe listening practices in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Nov 2022)
Exact wording at the source
The pooled prevalence estimate of exposure to unsafe listening from PLDs was 23.81% (95% CI 18.99% to 29.42%).
- 36.
Nearly 60% of hearing loss in children is due to avoidable causes that public health measures can prevent, WHO says.
World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In children, nearly 60% of hearing loss is due to avoidable causes that can be prevented through implementation of public health measures.
- 37.
About 27 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise at work each year.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, About Occupational Hearing Loss (Dec 2024)
Exact wording at the source
About 27 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise at work each year.
- 38.
About 18% of U.S. adults aged 20 to 69 with 5 or more years of very loud noise at work have speech-frequency hearing loss in both ears, versus 5.5% of those with no work noise exposure.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness (Sep 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Among adults ages 20-69 who report 5 or more years of exposure to very loud noise at work, about 18% have speech-frequency hearing loss in both ears.
The cost of unaddressed hearing loss
- 39.
Unaddressed hearing loss costs the world almost $1 trillion a year, WHO estimates.
World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual global cost of almost US$ 1 trillion.
- 40.
Scaling up ear and hearing care worldwide would need an additional investment of less than $1.40 per person per year.
World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
An annual additional investment of less than US$ 1.40 per person is needed to scale up ear and hearing care services globally.
- 41.
Every dollar invested in ear and hearing care returns nearly $16 over 10 years, WHO calculates.
World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Over a 10-year period, this promises a return of nearly US$ 16 for every US dollar invested.
- 42.
93% of low income countries have fewer than one audiologist per million people.
World Health Organization, WHO: 1 in 4 people projected to have hearing problems by 2050 (Mar 2021)
Exact wording at the source
Among low-income countries, about 78% have fewer than one ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist per million population; 93% have fewer than one audiologist per million; only 17% have one or more speech therapist per million; and 50% have one or more teacher for the deaf per million.
- 43.
The UK economy loses an estimated £25 billion a year in productivity and unemployment linked to hearing loss, NHS England reported in 2015.
NHS England, Action Plan on Hearing Loss (Mar 2015)
Exact wording at the source
Hearing loss impacts on the economy with recent estimates suggesting that the UK economy loses £25 billion a year in productivity and unemployment (17).
- 44.
People with mild hearing loss have nearly twice the risk of developing dementia as people with normal hearing, rising to five times for severe loss, NHS England reports.
NHS England, Action Plan on Hearing Loss (Mar 2015)
Exact wording at the source
People with mild hearing loss have nearly twice the risk of developing dementia compared to people with normal hearing; and the risk increases threefold for people with moderate and fivefold for people with severe hearing loss (9,10).
- 45.
A three-year hearing intervention slowed cognitive decline by 48% among higher risk older adults in the ACHIEVE trial, though results were negative in the full study population.
Alzheimer's Association, Hearing Aids Help Slow Cognitive Decline, Study Finds (Jul 2023)
Exact wording at the source
While the results were negative in the total study population, the hearing intervention slowed cognitive decline in older adults with mild to moderate hearing loss by 48% in a pre-specified segment of the study population consisting of the 238 people participating in an ongoing observational study of heart health.
The hearing loss treatment gap
- 46.
About 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids, NIDCD estimates.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness (Sep 2024)
Exact wording at the source
About 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids.
- 47.
Fewer than 1 in 3 (30%) U.S. adults aged 70 and older with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids has ever used them.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness (Sep 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Among adults ages 70 and older with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids, fewer than 1 in 3 (30%) has ever used them.
- 48.
Only about 16% of U.S. adults aged 20 to 69 who could benefit from hearing aids have ever used them.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness (Sep 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Even fewer adults ages 20-69 (approximately 16%) who could benefit from wearing hearing aids have ever used them.
- 49.
7.1% of U.S. adults aged 45 and over used a hearing aid in 2019, with higher use among men than women.
National Center for Health Statistics, Hearing Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2019 (Jul 2021)
Exact wording at the source
In 2019, 7.1% of adults aged 45 and over used a hearing aid; use was higher among men than women in all age groups.
- 50.
Only 29.2% of U.S. adults aged 71 and older with hearing loss, about 6.4 million people, used hearing aids in 2021.
JAMA Network Open, Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use Among US Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 71 Years and Older (Jul 2023)
Exact wording at the source
Among those with hearing loss, only 29.2% (weighted estimate, 6.4 million individuals) used hearing aids, with lower estimates among Black and Hispanic individuals and low-income individuals.
- 51.
Hearing aid use among U.S. adults aged 65 and older rose from 11.2% in 2011 to 16.3% in 2022, a 45.5% increase.
JAMA Network Open, Hearing Aid Use Trends Among Older Adults by Income and Metropolitan vs Nonmetropolitan Residence (Sep 2024)
Exact wording at the source
The proportion of older adults reporting hearing aid use increased from 11.2% (95% CI, 10.3-12.0) in 2011 to 16.3% (95% CI, 14.8-18.0) in 2022, a 45.5% increase in uptake
- 52.
Over 10 million people in the UK could benefit from hearing aids, but only 3 million use them, RNID estimates.
RNID, Prevalence of hearing loss, tinnitus and British Sign Language in the UK (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Over 10 million people could benefit from hearing aids, but only 3 million use them
- 53.
50.5% of UK adults with self-declared hearing loss used hearing aids in 2025, down from 52.8% in 2022 (EuroTrak UK).
BIHIMA, New EuroTrak UK data reveals encouraging trends in hearing instrument use and satisfaction, but awareness gap persists (Jul 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Despite clear evidence of benefit, the adoption rate among people with self-declared hearing loss has dipped slightly to 50.5%, down from 52.8% in 2022.
- 54.
The NHS supplied 69% of hearing instruments in the UK free of charge in 2025.
BIHIMA, New EuroTrak UK data reveals encouraging trends in hearing instrument use and satisfaction, but awareness gap persists (Jul 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Crucially, the data also revealed that the NHS continues to be a cornerstone of hearing care in the UK, supplying 69% of hearing instruments free of charge, which demonstrates that the NHS is delivering significant levels of service despite frequently reported pressures and growing demand.
Chart
Hearing aid use among U.S. adults 71 and older with hearing loss, by severity
National Health and Aging Trends Study 2021, audiometric testing of Medicare beneficiaries aged 71 and older.
- Mild14.4%
- Moderate45.3%
- Severe67.9%
Source: JAMA Network Open, Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use Among US Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 71 Years and Older
Questions readers ask
- How many people have hearing loss worldwide?
- About 1.57 billion people had some degree of hearing loss in 2019, one in five people, according to the Global Burden of Disease study in The Lancet. WHO estimates that 430 million people, over 5% of the world's population, have disabling hearing loss that needs rehabilitation.
- How many Americans have hearing loss?
- NIDCD reports that about 15% of U.S. adults, 37.5 million people, have some trouble hearing, and that 1 in 8 people aged 12 and older has hearing loss in both ears on standard exams. Among adults 71 and older, audiometric testing found hearing loss in 65.3% (JAMA Network Open, 2023).
- How many people will have hearing loss by 2050?
- WHO projects nearly 2.5 billion people with some degree of hearing loss by 2050, and over 700 million, 1 in 10 people, with disabling hearing loss. The Global Burden of Disease team projects 2.45 billion, a 56% rise from 2019 driven by population growth and ageing.
- What does unaddressed hearing loss cost?
- WHO estimates the global cost of unaddressed hearing loss at almost $1 trillion a year. Scaling up care would need less than $1.40 per person per year in additional investment and would return nearly $16 for every dollar over 10 years.
- What share of people with hearing loss use hearing aids?
- A minority in most countries. In the U.S., 29.2% of adults 71 and older with hearing loss used hearing aids in 2021 (JAMA Network Open), and about 16% of adults 20 to 69 who could benefit have ever used them (NIDCD). In the UK, 50.5% of people with self-declared hearing loss used hearing aids in 2025 (EuroTrak UK, BIHIMA).
- How many people in the UK have hearing loss?
- RNID estimates more than 18 million people in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or have tinnitus, one in three people. 2.4 million have hearing loss that makes most conversational speech hard to hear, and almost 80% of people aged 70 or over have some hearing loss.
Where these numbers come from
We used primary sources only: WHO, U.S. federal agencies (NIDCD, NCHS, CDC and NIOSH), national governments and statistical offices, peer reviewed studies and the organizations that ran each survey. Every quote was refetched from the source page and checked against the figure. Figures are not directly comparable across sources: some count any hearing loss of 20 dB or more, others only disabling loss of 35 dB or more in the better ear, and some rely on self report while others use audiometric tests. RNID's UK total includes tinnitus without hearing loss. Several U.S. federal figures rest on survey data from 2011 to 2020 because newer national audiometric estimates for all ages have not been published; we state the data year on each figure. The 48% ACHIEVE result applies to a prespecified higher risk subgroup, not the whole trial. We store the sentence each number appears in, and a script loads the publisher's page again to make sure that sentence is still there. Our methodology has the details.
Sources
- Alzheimer's Association. Hearing Aids Help Slow Cognitive Decline, Study Finds (Jul 2023).
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Roadmap for Hearing Health (Feb 2019).
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Hearing Services Program (Jul 2025).
- BIHIMA. New EuroTrak UK data reveals encouraging trends in hearing instrument use and satisfaction, but awareness gap persists (Jul 2025).
- BMJ Global Health. Prevalence and global estimates of unsafe listening practices in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Nov 2022).
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data and Statistics About Hearing Loss in Children (May 2025).
- JAMA Network Open. Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use Among US Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 71 Years and Older (Jul 2023).
- JAMA Network Open. Hearing Aid Use Trends Among Older Adults by Income and Metropolitan vs Nonmetropolitan Residence (Sep 2024).
- National Center for Health Statistics. Hearing Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2019 (Jul 2021).
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. About Occupational Hearing Loss (Dec 2024).
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness (Sep 2024).
- NHS England. Action Plan on Hearing Loss (Mar 2015).
- RNID. Prevalence of hearing loss, tinnitus and British Sign Language in the UK (Oct 2026).
- Statistics Canada. Hearing health of Canadian adults (Oct 2021).
- The Lancet. Hearing loss prevalence and years lived with disability, 1990-2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (Mar 2021).
- World Health Organization. Deafness and hearing loss (Mar 2026).
- World Health Organization. WHO: 1 in 4 people projected to have hearing problems by 2050 (Mar 2021).
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