What Percentage of 70-Year-Olds Wear Hearing Aids?

Image

What Percentage of 70-Year-Olds Wear Hearing Aids?

That’s a great question, and the short answer is: not as many as you’d hope.

The numbers

  • Among adults 70 and older who could benefit from a hearing aid, fewer than one in three (under 30 %) have ever used one. 
  • In national studies, hearing aid use tends to stay under 20 % for the broader older adult population — even among those with measurable hearing loss. 
  • One analysis found that for people 70 and older with moderate to severe hearing loss, about 59 % do not use hearing aids. In other words, only ~41 % do. 
  • Another survey tracked hearing aid usage in people 70+ over time and showed it climbing from about 15 % in 2011 to ~18.5 % in 2018. 

So depending on how you define “wear hearing aids” (ever used vs using regularly vs benefit-eligible), the figure hovers somewhere between 15–30 %, with a subset of folks with more serious hearing loss reaching somewhat higher uptake rates.

Why isn’t usage higher?

A few common barriers:

  • Awareness & denial. Many people chalk up hearing loss to “just getting old” and don’t see it as something treatable.
  • Cost & access. Some older adults avoid hearing aids because of cost or lack of clarity on insurance coverage.
  • Stigma & inconvenience. Some see hearing aids as a sign of aging, or worry about fiddling with them, maintenance, batteries, or comfort.
  • Under-referral. Doctors don’t always push for hearing evaluations, and many adults never get screened.

What this means for you (or someone you care about)

  • If you’re in your 70s and struggling to hear well, don’t assume it’s “too late” to help.
  • The relatively low usage rate means many are living with treatable hearing loss that’s going unmanaged.
  • Modern hearing aids are more comfortable, discreet, and powerful than ever—so some objections that used to be real are less of a hurdle today.
  • A hearing test is the first step. From there, you’ll get clarity about what degree of hearing loss you have and whether amplification can help.

Takeaway

If you ask “What percentage of 70-year-olds wear hearing aids?” the safest estimate is under 30 %, especially among those who could benefit. That’s not because hearing aids don’t work — it’s because many barriers stand in the way.

At Delray Hearing Center, we believe that number should be much higher. If you’d like help getting a hearing evaluation, understanding your options, or figuring out what fits your needs, we’re here for you.

Back to Blog