A new international study published in BMJ Global Health reveals a mismatch between hearing loss and hearing aid use across countries—highlighting a gap in global hearing health care.
The study, which analyzed data from 28 countries and over 664,000 adults aged 50 and older, found that nations with the highest levels of self-reported hearing loss—China, South Korea, Mexico, and Brazil—also reported the lowest use of hearing aids, with uptake rates often below 6%.
In contrast, countries in Western and Northern Europe and the United States, where reported hearing loss was lower, showed significantly higher rates of hearing aid use—up to 39% among those with hearing loss.
“Our findings reveal a striking global disparity in hearing aid access, especially in countries where the need is greatest,” said Jessica S. West, PhD, MPH, senior author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. “This mismatch underscores the urgent need for equitable hearing health policies and culturally tailored interventions to close the gap.”
The study also uncovered gender patterns. In most countries, men were more likely to report hearing loss than women—but this gender gap disappeared in China and South Korea, where both men and women reported similar levels of hearing difficulty. Across nearly all countries, men were more likely than women to use hearing aids, particularly in settings where overall uptake was low.