430 million people — over 5% of the world’s population — require rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss. according to World Health Organization (n.d.).
WHO defines this group as people who need rehabilitation, including 34 million children.
- Geography:
- Worldwide
- Period:
- Current WHO fact-sheet estimate
- Published:
- WHO fact sheet is continuously updated; the 430 million figure is stated on the live page.
Caveat: Disabling hearing loss is a clinical threshold, not a caption-usage survey.
Source: World Health Organization — Deafness and hearing loss (fact sheet)
The 430 million people who require rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss include 34 million children. according to World Health Organization (n.d.).
Child count is a subset of WHO’s disabling-hearing-loss estimate, not an additional population.
- Geography:
- Worldwide
- Published:
- WHO fact sheet is continuously updated; the 34 million child figure is stated on the live page.
Source: World Health Organization — Deafness and hearing loss (fact sheet)
By 2050, WHO projects that nearly 2.5 billion people will have some degree of hearing loss. according to World Health Organization (n.d.).
This is a projection of any-degree hearing loss, not a forecast of caption or transcript demand.
- Geography:
- Worldwide
- Period:
- Projection to 2050
- Published:
- WHO fact sheet is continuously updated; the 2050 projection is stated on the live page.
Caveat: Projection, not an observed count.
Source: World Health Organization — Deafness and hearing loss (fact sheet)
By 2050, WHO estimates that more than 700 million people — about 1 in 10 — will have disabling hearing loss. according to World Health Organization (n.d.).
WHO presents this as the future rehabilitation caseload, not a technology-adoption forecast.
- Geography:
- Worldwide
- Period:
- Projection to 2050
- Published:
- WHO fact sheet is continuously updated; the 700 million / 1-in-10 projection is stated on the live page.
Caveat: Projection. Distinct from the 2.5 billion “any degree” figure.
Source: World Health Organization — Deafness and hearing loss (fact sheet)
Around 95.1 million children aged 5–19 years live with hearing loss worldwide. according to World Health Organization (n.d.).
Age-bounded child/adolescent estimate on the WHO fact sheet; it is not limited to disabling loss.
- Geography:
- Worldwide
- Period:
- Children aged 5–19
- Published:
- WHO fact sheet is continuously updated; the 95.1 million figure is stated in the key facts.
Source: World Health Organization — Deafness and hearing loss (fact sheet)
Unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual global cost of almost US$ 1 trillion, according to WHO. according to World Health Organization (n.d.).
WHO attributes this cost to unaddressed hearing loss. It is not a market-size figure for transcription software.
- Geography:
- Worldwide
- Published:
- WHO fact sheet is continuously updated; the US$ 1 trillion cost is stated in the key facts.
Caveat: Economic-burden estimate. Do not present it as transcription-industry revenue.
Source: World Health Organization — Deafness and hearing loss (fact sheet)
Over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. according to World Health Organization (n.d.).
WHO frames this as a preventable-risk population, not as people who already have hearing loss.
- Geography:
- Worldwide
- Published:
- WHO fact sheet is continuously updated; the 1 billion young-adult risk figure is stated in the key facts.
Caveat: Risk estimate, not diagnosed prevalence.
Source: World Health Organization — Deafness and hearing loss (fact sheet)
Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) ages 18 and over report some trouble hearing. according to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (2024).
NIDCD compiles this from National Health Interview Survey analysis (Blackwell, Lucas, Clarke, 2014) and still publishes it on the official quick-statistics page (updated 20 September 2024).
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- NHIS 2012 analysis, still cited by NIDCD in 2024
- Sample:
- National Health Interview Survey adults (see Blackwell et al. 2014)
- Published:
- September 20, 2024
Caveat: Older survey vintage than CDC NCHS Data Brief 414 (2019). Keep both; do not average them.
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
About 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. according to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (2024).
NIDCD cites CDC MMWR infant-hearing identification data (1999–2007).
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- CDC infant identification, 1999–2007, still cited in 2024
- Published:
- September 20, 2024
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
More than 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. according to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (2024).
NIDCD cites Mitchell & Karchmer (2004), Sign Language Studies.
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- Mitchell & Karchmer 2004, still cited by NIDCD in 2024
- Published:
- September 20, 2024
Caveat: Foundational demographic finding; the underlying paper is from 2004.
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
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. according to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (2024).
NIDCD cites Lin, Niparko, and Ferrucci (2011), Archives of Internal Medicine.
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- Audiometric analysis published 2011, still cited by NIDCD in 2024
- Published:
- September 20, 2024
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
About 5% of U.S. adults ages 45–54 have disabling hearing loss; the share is 10% at ages 55–64, 22% at ages 65–74, and 55% at ages 75 and older. according to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (2024).
NIDCD Epidemiology staff calculations from 2015–2020 NHANES using the Global Burden of Disease 35 dB better-ear threshold.
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- NHANES 2015–2020
- Published:
- September 20, 2024
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
About 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids. according to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (2024).
NIDCD Epidemiology estimate based on December 2015 Census Bureau noninstitutionalized population figures (personal communication, May 2016), still listed on the 2024 quick-statistics page.
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- Estimate referenced to 2015 population counts
- Published:
- September 20, 2024
Caveat: Benefit-from-aids estimate, not current hearing-aid ownership.
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
Among U.S. adults ages 70 and older with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids, fewer than 1 in 3 (30%) has ever used them. Among adults ages 20–69 who could benefit, about 16% have ever used them. according to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (2024).
NIDCD combines NHIS hearing-aid-use questions with NHANES exam denominators.
- Geography:
- United States
- Published:
- September 20, 2024
Caveat: “Ever used” is not the same as current daily use.
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
Among U.S. adults ages 20–69, men are almost twice as likely as women to have hearing loss. according to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (2024).
NIDCD cites Hoffman et al., JAMA Otolaryngology (2016).
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- NHANES-based analysis published 2016
- Published:
- September 20, 2024
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
Among U.S. adults ages 20–69, the overall annual prevalence of hearing loss dropped slightly from 16% (28.0 million) in 1999–2004 to 14% (27.7 million) in 2011–2012. according to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (2024).
Same Hoffman et al. (2016) analysis cited by NIDCD.
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- 1999–2004 vs 2011–2012
- Published:
- September 20, 2024
Caveat: Ages 20–69 only. Not a decline in older-adult disabling loss.
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
As of July 2022, more than 1 million cochlear implants had been implanted worldwide. according to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (2024).
NIDCD cites Zeng (2022), JASA Express Letters. Separate U.S. FDA-registration estimates through December 2019 are 118,100 adult and 65,000 pediatric implants.
- Geography:
- Worldwide (with U.S. subset)
- Period:
- Worldwide as of July 2022; U.S. device counts through December 2019
- Published:
- September 20, 2024
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) — Quick Statistics About Hearing, Balance, & Dizziness
In 2019, 13.0% of U.S. adults aged 18 and over had some difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid. according to National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) (2021).
NCHS Data Brief 414, based on the 2019 National Health Interview Survey question about difficulty hearing even with a hearing aid.
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- 2019
- Sample:
- 2019 NHIS civilian noninstitutionalized adult sample
- Published:
- July 1, 2021
Caveat: Not interchangeable with NIDCD’s 15% “trouble hearing” figure; question wording differs.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) — Hearing Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2019 (Data Brief 414)
In 2019, 1.6% of U.S. adults aged 18 and over had a lot of difficulty hearing or could not hear at all, even when using a hearing aid. according to National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) (2021).
Same NCHS Data Brief 414 / 2019 NHIS functional-hearing question.
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- 2019
- Published:
- July 1, 2021
Source: National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) — Hearing Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2019 (Data Brief 414)
In 2019, some difficulty hearing (even with a hearing aid) affected 6.3% of U.S. adults 18–44, 13.6% of adults 45–64, and 26.8% of adults 65 and over. according to National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) (2021).
Age gradient from NCHS Data Brief 414 Figure 1 / accompanying 508 tables.
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- 2019
- Published:
- July 1, 2021
Source: National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) — Hearing Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2019 (Data Brief 414)
In 2019, 4.1% of U.S. adults aged 65 and over had a lot of difficulty hearing or could not hear at all, even when using a hearing aid. according to National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) (2021).
NCHS Data Brief 414 age breakout for the most severe functional category.
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- 2019
- Published:
- July 1, 2021
Source: National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) — Hearing Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2019 (Data Brief 414)
In 2019, 7.1% of U.S. adults aged 45 and over used a hearing aid, including 8.9% of men and 5.4% of women in that age range. according to National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) (2021).
NCHS Data Brief 414 hearing-aid-use estimates for ages 45+.
- Geography:
- United States
- Period:
- 2019
- Published:
- July 1, 2021
Source: National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) — Hearing Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2019 (Data Brief 414)
