About 15% of American adults, or 37.5 million people 18 and older, report some trouble hearing, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). By its count, 28.8 million US adults could benefit from hearing aids, and among those 70 and older who could, only 30% have ever used one.
Every figure on this page comes from NIDCD's quick statistics page, last updated September 20, 2024. Where the year of the underlying data matters, we say so.
- 37.5 million
- US adults 18+ (about 15%) report some trouble hearing
- 28.8 million
- US adults could benefit from using hearing aids
- 30 million
- people 12+ (13%, or 1 in 8) have hearing loss in both ears
- 25 million
- US adults (roughly 10%) had tinnitus lasting 5+ minutes in the past year
Source: NIDCD, Quick Statistics About Hearing, last updated September 20, 2024.
How hearing loss climbs with age
For this measure NIDCD counts "disabling" hearing loss, which its footnote defines as 35 decibels or more in the better ear, the level at which adults could generally benefit from hearing aids. The rates are NIDCD's own calculations from the 2015 to 2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Disabling = 35 decibels or more in the better ear. NIDCD calculation from NHANES 2015-2020.
| Age group | Share with disabling hearing loss |
|---|---|
| 45 to 54 | about 5% |
| 55 to 64 | 10% |
| 65 to 74 | 22% |
| 75 and older | 55% |
From the 45 to 54 group to people 75 and older, the rate rises elevenfold, from 5% to 55% (our arithmetic). Among adults 20 to 69, NIDCD says age is the strongest predictor of hearing loss, with the most loss in the 60 to 69 group, and men are almost twice as likely as women to have it. Prevalence in that 20 to 69 group has eased a little over time, from 16% (28.0 million) in 1999-2004 to 14% (27.7 million) in 2011-2012.
Who could use hearing aids, and who does
The 28.8 million estimate is built on December 2015 Census Bureau population figures. The use rates combine national survey answers about who has ever worn a hearing aid with hearing exam data on who could benefit.
Base: the 28.8 million US adults NIDCD counts as able to benefit from hearing aids.
| Age group | Have ever used them |
|---|---|
| 70 and older | 30% (fewer than 1 in 3) |
| 20 to 69 | about 16% |
In the 70-and-older group, 30% of those who could benefit have ever used hearing aids; in the 20 to 69 group the share is about 16%. The FDA's over-the-counter hearing aid category, in effect since October 17, 2022, lets adults with perceived mild to moderate loss buy an aid with no exam or prescription. NIDCD's page gives no use rate from after that change. How a supplement compares with those devices is covered in Audifort vs OTC hearing aids.
Noise at work
Among adults 20 to 69 who report five or more years of very loud noise at work, about 18% have speech-frequency hearing loss in both ears. Among adults who report no noise on the job, the share is 5.5%.
| Work noise history | Share with the loss |
|---|---|
| 5+ years of very loud noise at work | about 18% |
| No occupational noise exposure | 5.5% |
Source: NIDCD, Quick Statistics About Hearing, citing Hoffman and colleagues (2016).
That gap is a bit more than threefold: 18 divided by 5.5 is about 3.3. NIDCD's source for both figures is a 2016 paper by Hoffman and colleagues on hearing loss in US adults 20 to 69.
Tinnitus in the numbers
Roughly 10% of US adults, about 25 million people, have had tinnitus lasting at least five minutes in the past year. Worldwide, about 14.4% of adults have experienced it, roughly 2% have had severe tinnitus, and almost 10% have had chronic tinnitus lasting more than three months. NIDCD's tinnitus guide covers what helps, and our page on Audifort and tinnitus sets that against the supplement.
Hearing, mood and daily life
NIDCD puts depression at about 8% of adults 20 to 69. The figure is about 18% for adults with moderate or worse hearing loss, and about 17% for adults who notice tinnitus once a month or more. Among adults over 52 with moderate to severe hearing loss, about 28% have difficulty with daily activities, against 7.3% of people the same age without hearing loss.
Where each number comes from
NIDCD footnotes every statistic. The dates are worth a look, because the page was updated in 2024 while some of the data underneath is much older.
| Statistic | Figure | Data source NIDCD cites |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 18+ reporting some trouble hearing | 15% (37.5 million) | National Health Interview Survey, 2012 |
| People 12+ with hearing loss in both ears | 13% (30 million), 1 in 8 | Lin and colleagues, 2011 |
| Adults who could benefit from hearing aids | 28.8 million | NIDCD estimate on December 2015 Census figures |
| Ever used aids, 70+ who could benefit | 30% | NIDCD calculation, national survey plus hearing exams |
| Ever used aids, 20 to 69 who could benefit | about 16% | Same |
| Speech-frequency loss, 5+ years of loud work noise | about 18% | Hoffman and colleagues, 2016 |
| Speech-frequency loss, no work noise | 5.5% | Hoffman and colleagues, 2016 |
| Tinnitus of 5+ minutes in the past year | about 10% (25 million) | Bhatt and colleagues, 2016 |
| Babies born with detectable hearing loss | 2 to 3 per 1,000 | CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report |
| Cochlear implants in the US | about 118,100 adults, 65,000 children | Manufacturer reports to the FDA, December 2019 |
So the headline 15% rests on a 2012 survey, and the 28.8 million on 2015 Census figures. Both predate the OTC hearing aid category, which took effect in October 2022. Our Audifort review covers the supplement itself; none of the figures above measure supplements of any kind.
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