QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged 18 Years or Older Who Have Difficulty Hearing Even When Using a Hearing Aid, by Age Group — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2020

In 2020, 12.3% of adults aged ≥18 years had some difficulty hearing even when using a hearing aid and 1.5% had a lot of difficulty or could not hear at all.

The percentage of adults who had some difficulty hearing increased with age, from 6.0% among those aged 18–44 years, to 12.6% among those aged 45–64 years, and to 25.0% among those aged ≥65 years.

The percentage of adults who had a lot of difficulty hearing or were unable to hear at all also increased with age, from 0.5% among those aged 18–44 years, to 1.6% among those aged 45–64 years, and to 3.7% among those aged ≥65 years.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7112a5.htm