John Elflein
Research expert covering health and health care
Hearing loss in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts
Hearing loss is the partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss can be temporary or permanent and can be sudden or develop gradually over time. As of 2019, roughly 430 million people worldwide suffered from disabling hearing loss and this is projected to rise to 711 million by 2050. The region with the highest prevalence of hearing loss is the Western Pacific where almost 22 percent of the population is estimated to have difficulty hearing. Degrees of hearing loss can range from mild or moderate to severe or profound, but the majority of people with hearing loss have only mild hearing issues. Nevertheless, hearing loss is responsible for significant financial costs, totaling some 981 billion international dollars in 2019.
Hearing loss demographics
Hearing loss may be hereditary, part of the aging process or be triggered by over-exposure to excessive noise. Other factors that induce hearing loss may include birth complications, viral or bacterial infections, injury and physical trauma to the ear or head, as well as the negative effects of certain medications or toxins. In children, hearing problems may affect the ability to learn spoken language and, in the United States, testing for poor hearing is typically recommended for all newborns. Among adults in the United States who have hearing difficulties despite wearing hearing aids, rates increase with age. Hearing difficulties are also higher among non-Hispanic white adults than other races and ethnicities, and men are more likely than women to experience hearing problems. For example in 2019, around 22 percent of U.S. men aged 45 years and older reported some difficulty hearing compared to 16 percent of women.Hearing loss treatment
Hearing aids, surgical treatments (such as a cochlear implant), and other assistive devices are used to improve the ability to hear when hearing loss occurs. However despite the availability of hearing aids, only 7.1 percent of those aged 45 and older with hearing difficulties use a hearing aid. Cost is one of the most common reasons given by those with untreated hearing difficulties. Untreated hearing problems can have unforeseen consequences not just on a person's quality of life but also on their cognitive function. Johns Hopkins experts warn that mild hearing loss can double a person's dementia risk. Moderate loss can triple the risk, and people with severe hearing impairment are five-times more likely to develop dementia. Hearing tests should be conducted regularly among older adults to address this, however only around 40 percent of U.S. adults aged 70 years and older reported receiving a hearing test in the past five years as of 2023.
