First published 06 October 2020

11.3% of the Spanish population say that they have a hearing loss, according to a survey.

11.3% of people living in Spain say that they have a hearing loss. Among adults in Spain aged 18 or older, 13.3% say they have a hearing loss. Nearly 37% of those who say they have a hearing loss use hearing instruments, according to the EuroTrak Spain 2020 survey.

The number of people who think they have a hearing loss is slightly higher in Spain compared to other countries in Europe where similar EuroTrak surveys have been carried out in recent years, such as Germany, France, United Kingdom and Italy. On average, one in ten in Europe say they have a hearing loss.

Use of hearing aids

In the survey, 36.5% of those who say they have a hearing loss said that they used hearing instruments. The figure is quite similar to the figures in other European countries where typically between 30% and 40% of those who say they have a hearing loss use hearing aids.

47% of hearing aid users in Spain use two hearing aids. This figure is lower than in other European countries, where around 75% of those who use hearing aids wear hearing aids in both ears.

The benefits of hearing aids

Hearing aids make everyday life and work easier.

Hearing aids are believed to have a positive impact in the workplace. In the survey, 96% of the hearing aid users stated that their hearing aids are helpful in their work life.

Most of the hearing aid users (87%) feel more confident moving around a city since they began to wear hearing aids.

71% of all hearing aid users in the survey think they should have gotten their hearing aids sooner. The main reason for this is missing out on social life.

In the survey, hearing aid users experienced significant positive impact from their hearing aids on different aspects of their lives. Especially communication effectiveness and ability to participate in group activities improve with hearing aids.

Compared to impaired hearing aid non-owners with significant hearing loss, hearing aid owners feel less exhausted in the evenings. Quality of sleep also improves when using hearing aids.

All in all, 98% of hearing aid owners in Spain declare that their hearing aids improve their quality of life at least sometimes.

Hearing tests

50% of the participants in the survey said that they had a hearing test within the last five years. Most of the tests were carried out by the family doctor.

About the survey

EuroTrak Spain 2020 was designed and carried out by the Swiss analysis firm Anovum on behalf of the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA) to measure hearing loss prevalence and hearing aids usage. The survey consisted of around 15,500 interviews.

Source: www.ehima.com

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