Global MED-EL Survey Reveals: People Value Hearing Highly – But Few Believe Society Understands Hearing Loss

July 9, 2026 – (Innsbruck, Austria): Hearing helps people stay connected with others, engage with loved ones, stay aware of their surroundings and participate fully in everyday life. Yet while hearing is widely recognized as essential, many people believe society still does not adequately understand hearing loss. A new global MED-EL survey* reveals a striking disconnect between the importance people place on hearing and perceptions of hearing loss awareness.

Communication and staying connected is the most important reason for good hearing, according to 41% of people worldwide.
Only one third of respondents believe society knows enough about hearing loss.
More than 4 in 10 say awareness of hearing loss is lacking.

The survey, which included more than 10,000 respondents across ten countries, explored both the role of hearing in everyday life and public perceptions of hearing loss. Across all ten countries surveyed, communication and staying connected with others consistently rank as the most important reasons for good hearing. More than 4 in 10 respondents worldwide (41%) say that the ability to communicate and stay connected with others is the primary benefit of hearing well. A further 15% identify safety and awareness of surroundings as the key benefit of hearing, while another 15% emphasize hearing and engaging with loved ones. Social participation (12%) and mental and emotional wellbeing (12%) also rank highly.

Hearing Is Essential for Connection

Together, these findings suggest that hearing is valued primarily as a means of maintaining relationships, staying connected and participating in everyday life. While communication is the leading reason for good hearing across all countries, the way people value hearing differs in important ways. While communication is the leading reason for good hearing in every country surveyed, notable national differences emerge. Respondents in Germany are particularly likely to associate hearing with participation in social life (24%), Italians place an unusually strong emphasis on safety and awareness of their surroundings (26%), while people in Spain and Argentina are more likely to connect hearing with mental and emotional wellbeing (17% and 18%, respectively). France stands out for placing greater importance on music and entertainment than any other country surveyed (11%).

Awareness Lags Behind Importance

Despite the central role hearing plays in daily life, a global awareness gap remains. Only one third of respondents (33%) believe people and society know enough about hearing loss. In contrast, more than 4 in 10 (41%) believe awareness is lacking, while more than one quarter (26%) are unsure. The results point to a significant disconnect: while people clearly understand the importance of hearing in their own lives, many feel society lacks a sufficient understanding of what happens when hearing is impaired. This gap matters because hearing loss is often invisible. Without greater awareness, people may face misunderstandings, reduced participation and social isolation – all of which can affect quality of life and wellbeing.
While the overall trend is global, attitudes vary considerably between countries. Awareness concerns are particularly pronounced in Argentina (50%), the United Kingdom (49%) and the United States (48%), where around half of respondents believe society does not know enough about hearing loss. Meanwhile, Austria (32%) and France (35%) stand out for their relatively high levels of uncertainty, suggesting that many people have not yet formed a clear view on society’s understanding of hearing loss. Italy stands out as the most optimistic country in the survey, with 42% believing society knows enough about hearing loss, compared with 29% who believe awareness is lacking.

Different Generations, Different Perspectives

The survey also reveals notable differences across age groups. Younger adults tend to place greater emphasis on personal relationships. Among respondents aged 18–24, almost one in five (19%) identify hearing and engaging with loved ones as the most important reason for good hearing, compared with 11% among those aged 55 and over.
Older adults, meanwhile, are more likely to associate hearing with participation in social life and mental and emotional wellbeing. Seventeen percent of respondents aged 55 and over identify participation in social life as the most important reason for good hearing, compared with 9% among those aged 18–24. Older respondents are also more likely to prioritize mental and emotional wellbeing (13% vs. 9%).
Communication remains the leading reason for good hearing across all age groups, cited by around four in ten respondents globally. These findings suggest that the role of hearing evolves throughout life – from supporting close personal relationships in younger years to enabling broader social participation, wellbeing and everyday engagement later in life.

Gender Differences

While men and women broadly agree on the importance of hearing, some differences emerge.
Men are slightly more likely to identify communication and staying connected as the most important benefit of hearing (42% vs. 40% among women).
Women, meanwhile, are more likely to associate hearing with mental and emotional wellbeing (13% vs. 11%) and safety and awareness of surroundings (16% vs. 14%).
Women are also more likely than men to believe that society does not know enough about hearing loss (43% vs. 38%), suggesting that women perceive a greater gap in public understanding of hearing-related challenges.

A Global Challenge

The findings come against a backdrop of growing global need. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 430 million people live with disabling hearing loss, and this number could rise to nearly 700 million by 2050.
The results of the MED-EL survey suggest that while people recognize hearing as essential for communication, wellbeing and participation in everyday life, awareness of hearing loss has not kept pace. “People around the world clearly understand how important hearing is for communication, wellbeing and participation in everyday life,” says Dr. Patrick D’Haese, Corporate Director of Awareness and Public Affairs at MED-EL. “Yet our findings show that awareness of hearing loss has not kept pace. Closing this gap is essential if we want people affected by hearing loss to remain connected, engaged and fully included in society.”

From Awareness to Action

MED-EL encourages people to take a proactive approach to their hearing health – whether through regular hearing checks or simple first steps like using a free online hearing test. Increasing awareness and understanding of hearing loss can help people seek support earlier and maintain active participation in everyday life.
Further information and practical insights can be found on the MED-EL website.

*The results presented here are based on a March 2026 online survey conducted by "Research Without Barriers" among 10,039 adults across ten countries: Argentina, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

About MED-EL

MED-EL Medical Electronics, a leader in implantable hearing solutions, is driven by a mission to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication and quality of life. The Austrian-based, privately owned business was co-founded by industry pioneers Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair, whose ground-breaking research led to the development of the world’s first micro-electronic multi-channel cochlear implant (CI), which was successfully implanted in 1977 and was the basis for what is known as the modern CI today. This laid the foundation for the successful growth of the company in 1990, when they hired their first employees. To date, MED-EL has more than 3,300 employees from around 90 nations and 30 locations worldwide.
The company offers the widest range of implantable and non-implantable solutions to treat all types of hearing loss, enabling people in 140 countries enjoy the gift of hearing with the help of a MED-EL device. MED-EL’s hearing solutions include cochlear and middle ear implant systems, a combined electric acoustic stimulation hearing implant system, auditory brainstem implants as well as surgical and non-surgical bone conduction devices. www.medel.com