Hearing loss in persons 65 years and older based on

WHO global estimates on prevalence of hearing loss

Mortality and Burden of Diseases and

Prevention of Blindness and Deafness WHO, 2012

In 2012, WHO released new estimates on the magnitude of disabling hearing loss. The estimates are based on 42 population-based studies.

Global estimates for population above 65 years are as follows: • There are 164.5 million persons of above 65 years with disabling

hearing loss, i.e. 33% of the world’s population above 65 years. • Approximately one-third of persons above 65 years are affected by

disabling hearing loss. • The prevalence of disabling hearing loss in persons above 65 years

is highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific, and South Asia. • In general lower the income, and the literacy of the region’s

population, higher is the prevalence of disabling hearing loss.

Definition of disabling hearing loss

• Disabling hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 40 dB in the better hearing ear in adults (15 years or older) and greater than 30 dB in the better hearing ear in children (0 to 14 years).

Hearing loss: WHO global estimates

Children 9%: 31.5M

Adults ≤65 years:

50%: 164.5M

Adults of more than 65 years

50%: 164M

Adults 15 or more

years: 91%: 328.5M

*MBD, WHO, 2011 DHL estimates; DHL adults (15+ years) threshold is ≥41 dB and children threshold is ≥31 dB.

More than the half of the Adults with disabling hearing loss are adults of 65 years or older i.e. 164.5 millions.

Disabling hearing loss in population above 65 years, is unequally distributed across the world

High-income 17%

Cent/East Europe and Central Asia

11%

Sub-Saharan Africa

7%

Middle East and North Africa

3% South Asia

21%

Asia Pacific 9%

Latin America & Carib.

9%

East Asia 23%

*MBD, WHO, 2011 DHL estimates; DHL adult threshold is ≥41 dB, adults of 15 years or older.

The prevalence of disabling hearing loss in adults aged 65 years or more is highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Asia Pacific.

Prevalence in low and middle income countries is almost the twice the prevalence in the high income region.

Selected Regions

Adults Over 65 years Adults between 15 to 64 years All Adults (15 years or older)

Both sexes Both sexes Both sexes

millions prevalence (%) millions prevalence (%) millions prevalence (%)

High-income 28.1 18.4% 9.1 1.4% 37.2 4.7%

Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia 18.4 36.1% 11.3 4.0% 29.6 8.9%

Sub-Saharan Africa 11.3 44.1% 19.1 4.3% 30.3 6.4%

Middle East and North Africa 5.2 26.3% 5.5 1.9% 10.7 3.5%

South Asia 34.4 48.1% 53.8 5.4% 88.1 8.3%

Asia Pacific 14.8 43.5% 18.6 4.7% 33.4 7.7%

Latin America and Caribbean 14.8 38.6% 13.2 3.5% 28.0 6.8%

East Asia 37.6 34.4% 33.6 3.4% 71.2 6.5%

World 164.5 32.8% 164.0 3.7% 328.5 6.7%

*MBD, WHO, 2011 DHL estimates, where DHL adult threshold is ≥41 dB for adults of 15 years or older.

Prevalence of disabling hearing loss for children, adults 15-65 years and adults above 65 years, by region.

18.40%

36.14%

44.15%

26.32%

48.08%

43.51%

38.62%

34.44% 32.79%

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

45.00%

50.00%P

reva

len

ce o

f D

isab

ling

Hea

rin

g Lo

ss

Prevalence of DHL for children until 14 years old (per 1000 children)

Prevalence of DHL for adults 15 years or older (per 100 populuation)

*MBD, WHO, 2011 DHL estimates, where DHL adult threshold is ≥41 dB and children threshold is ≥31 dB (children 0 until 14 years old).

The prevalence in adults above 65 years could be up to 5 times higher, as compared to children and adults up to 65 years of age.

Prevalence of hearing loss for adults above 65 years by degree of hearing loss, for selected regions.

Approximately 15% of the world's adult population has some degree of hearing loss, and 25% of them are aged above 65 years.

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

50.0%

Pre

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nce

of

Dis

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eari

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Loss

fo

r ad

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s

(65

yea

rs o

r o

lder

)

Slight HL ( 26-40 dB HL) Moderate HL (41-60 dB HL) Severe HL (61-80 dB HL)

Profound HL (>80 dB HL) Disabling HL(≥41 dB)

* MBD, WHO, 2011 DHL estimates, where DHL adult threshold is ≥41 dB.

Prevalence of disabling hearing loss for children, adults 15 years or older, and 65 years or older by selected regions.

The prevalence increases with age, i.e. prevalence in children is 1.7%, in adults aged 15 years or more, it is around 7%, rapidly increasing to around one in three in adults older than 65 years.

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

45.00%

50.00%

Pre

vale

nce

of

Dis

ablin

g H

eari

ng

Loss

Prevalence of DHL for children until 14 years old (per 100 children)

Prevalence of DHL for adults 15 years or older (per 100 populuation)

Prevalence of DHL for adults 65 years or older (per 100 population)*MBD, WHO, 2011 DHL estimates, where DHL adult threshold is ≥41 dB and children threshold is ≥31 dB (children 0 until 14 years old).

Prevalence of disabling hearing loss for adults (65 years or older) versus average GNI per capita for selected regions.

High Income: 18%

Cent/East Europe and Cent Asia 36%

S-Sahara Africa: 44%

Middle East and North Africa: 26%

South Asia: 48%

Asia Pacific: 43.5%

Latin America and Caribbean: 39%

East Asia: 34%

y = 0.5212x-0.208

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

- 5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Pre

vale

nce

of

Dis

ablin

g H

ear

ing

Loss

(ad

ult

s 6

5+)

Average GNI per capita (thousands US Dollars)

Prevalence of Disabling Hearing Loss for adults over 65 years old

Power (Prevalence of Disabling Hearing Loss for adults over 65 years old)

*MBD, WHO, 2011 DHL estimates.

In adults of 65 years and older, prevalence decreases exponentially as income increases.

Prevalence of Disabling Hearing Loss for people of above 65 years versus average adult literacy rate for low and middle income in

selected regions.

Hearing loss in adults of above 65 years decreases linearly as the adult literacy rate increases for selected low and middle income regions.

Cent/East Europe & Cent Asia 36%

S-Sahara Africa: 44%

South Asia: 48%

Asia Pacific: 44%

y = -0.0028x + 0.6406

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

Pre

vale

nce

of

Dis

ablin

g H

eari

ng

Loss

ad

ult

s o

f 6

5 +

yea

rs

Average Literacy rate (% of population of 15 or more years old)

Prevalence of Disabling Hearing Loss for adults of 65 or more years old

Linear (Prevalence of Disabling Hearing Loss for adults of 65 or more years old)

*MBD, WHO, 2011 DHL estimates, where DHL children threshold is ≥31 dB. *MBD, WHO, 2011 DHL estimates, where DHL children threshold is ≥31 dB.

East Asia 34%

Latin America & Car.: 39%

World Population growth for all ages and people aged of 65 or more years old

(2010-2020 in thousands '000)

-

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000

8,000,000

9,000,000

2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020

Po

pu

lati

on

in t

ho

usa

nd

s ('

00

0)

World Population: all people (in thousands )

World Population: people aged of 65 or more years old (in thousands)

626 m

7,770 m 6,853 m

855 m

Tot Pop 65+ : 37%↑

Tot Pop : 11%↑

*Population will grow from 6,853 millions people to 7,770 million in the period 2010-2020 (growth 11%), and the people of 65 years or more will grow from 626 millions in 2010 to 855 millions in 2019 representing a growth of 37%.

Percentage increase in number of persons (65 years or

older) with hearing loss from 2010-2020.*

Population of persons above 65 years old will increase from 2010-2020 in all regions with ranges going from 18.4% to 49.7%. Consequently, the number of persons with hearing loss will grow proportionately, due to population growth and ageing in all the selected regions.

25.8%

18.4%

38.0%

49.0%

42.9%

46.4% 44.1%

49.7%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Pro

po

rtio

n o

f H

L ca

ses

gro

wth

fo

r 6

5+

year

s o

ld p

op

ula

tio

n

* MBD, WHO, 2011 DHL estimates,

where DHL adult threshold is ≥41 dB.

Pro

po

rtion

of p

eop

le o

f 65

years o

r old

er grow

th

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

*: projections for a ten year period (2010-2020) assuming no change in current prevalence rates.

Appendix: References and Indicators

Indicator Source

Hearing Loss Estimates MBD: All degrees of hearing loss for adults and children WHO, 2011 Hearing Loss estimates

Population 2008 Estimates *UNDP 2010 World Population Prospects

GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US $ Dollars) **Worldbank Database 2008

Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) **Worldbank Database 2009

*UNDP WPP available at: http://www.un.org/esa/population/

**Worldbank database available at: http://data.worldbank.org/

A2: Selected Regions Subregion Countries

East Asia region East Asia China, Hong Kong SAR (China), Macau SAR (China), Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Taiwan.

Asia Pacific region Southeast Asia Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka,

Thailand, Timor-Leste, Viet Nam. Oceania Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Palau, Papua

New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Niue. South Asia region

South Asia Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan

Central / Eastern Europe and Central Asia region Central Asia Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Central Europe Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia,

Slovakia, Slovenia, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of). Eastern Europe Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine.

Middle East and North Africa region North Africa and Middle East Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco,

Occupied Palestinian Territory, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

Sub-Saharan Africa region Central Africa Angola, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon. East Africa Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda,

Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia. Southern Africa Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe. West Africa Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia,

Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Príncipe, Togo.

Latin America and Caribbean region Andean Latin America Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru. Central Latin America Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela (Bolivarian Rep. of). Southern Latin America Argentina, Chile, Uruguay. Tropical Latin America Brazil, Paraguay. Caribbean Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican

Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.

High-income region Asia-Pacific Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore. Australasia Australia, New Zealand. North America Canada, United States of America. Western Europe Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy,

Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Monaco and San Marino.