Hearing Loss Prevalence

Hearing loss is a significant health issue that affects individuals of all ages. 1 in 10 Canadians are living with some degree of hearing loss and between 20 and 40% of adults over the age of 65 reporting a significant hearing loss. In Canada, hearing loss is the 3rd most common chronic condition behind arthritis and high blood pressure (Statistics Canada, 2002).

Worldwide data show that hearing loss prevalence increases dramatically with age, affecting between 25% and 40% of adults over 65, 40% to 66% of adults over 75, and 80% of adults over 85 years (Pascolini and Smith, 2008). However, hearing loss does not just affect older people; in the United States, 65% of people with a hearing loss are younger than 65 (Kochkin, 2005).