Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Hearing loss - Statistics & Facts
As of 2019, roughly 430 million people worldwide suffered from disabling hearing loss with this number projected to rise to 711 million by the year 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. Hearing loss is the partial or total inability to hear. It can be temporary or permanent and can be sudden or develop gradually over time. 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. 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 many countries newborns are tested for poor hearing.
