Most Adults Would Use a Hearing Device if Needed – So Why Does Stigma Remain?

November 12, 2026 – (Innsbruck, Austria): Hearing technology is more advanced, effective, and discreet than ever before. Yet while most adults say they would be willing to use a hearing device if needed, many believe stigma surrounding hearing aids and hearing implants remains a reality.

Almost 9 in 10 adults say they would consider using a hearing aid or hearing implant if they needed one.
Yet more than half believe stigma around hearing devices still exists.
Younger adults are more likely than older generations to perceive hearing device stigma.

According to a new global survey* commissioned by MED-EL, 86% of adults would definitely or probably consider using a hearing aid or hearing implant if they needed one. Yet despite this high level of acceptance, 56% believe stigma around hearing devices still exists today. The findings reveal a striking gap between personal willingness to use hearing technology and perceptions of how society views it. “The technology has changed. Society's perception has not changed enough,” says Dr. Patrick D'Haese, Corporate Director of Awareness and Public Affairs at MED-EL. “When someone wears glasses, we see it as a solution. When someone uses hearing technology, too many people still see it as a limitation. That mindset needs to change.”

Openness to Hearing Technology Is Strong

The survey found widespread willingness to embrace hearing technology. Six in ten respondents (60%) said they would definitely consider using a hearing aid or hearing implant if they needed one, while a further 26% said they would probably do so. Overall, almost nine in ten adults (86%) said they would definitely or probably consider using a hearing device if needed, demonstrating widespread openness to hearing technology across generations and markets. The results point to growing recognition of the important role hearing solutions can play in helping people stay connected to family, friends, work, and everyday life. “It is encouraging to see such a high level of acceptance of hearing technology,” says Dr. D'Haese. “Seeking help for hearing loss should be viewed no differently than getting glasses for your eyesight. Both are solutions that help people participate fully in life.”

Stigma Has Not Disappeared

Despite this positive outlook, the survey revealed that many people still perceive a stigma around hearing devices. More than half of respondents (56%) said stigma surrounding hearing aids and hearing implants continues to exist, including 16% who believe it remains strong. Only 35% said little or no stigma remains today. The findings indicate that while hearing technology is increasingly accepted, misconceptions and outdated assumptions continue to influence public perceptions of hearing loss. “Today's hearing solutions are more advanced, discreet, and effective than ever before,” says D'Haese. “Yet many people still associate hearing technology with limitation rather than possibility. We need to shift the conversation from what hearing loss may take away to what hearing solutions can help people regain.”

Younger Adults Are Most Likely to Perceive Stigma

One of the survey's most surprising findings was that younger adults were more likely than older generations to perceive stigma around hearing devices. More than six in ten adults under 45 believe stigma surrounding hearing devices still exists. Specifically, 65% of respondents aged 18–24, 63% of those aged 25–34, and 62% of those aged 35–44 reported ongoing stigma. Younger adults were also far more likely to describe this stigma as strong. Around one in five respondents aged 18–44 said stigma remains strongly entrenched, compared with just 9% of adults aged 55 and older. In contrast, adults aged 55 and older were the least likely to perceive stigma overall, with 46% saying it still exists. “The fact that younger adults are among those most likely to perceive stigma was one of the most striking findings of the survey,” says D'Haese. “It shows that awareness alone is not enough. We must continue encouraging open conversations about hearing health and challenge outdated attitudes wherever they exist.”

Attitudes Vary Across Countries

The survey also revealed notable differences across countries. Respondents in Argentina (94%), Mexico (93%), and Spain (90%) were among the most likely to say they would definitely or probably consider using a hearing device if needed, demonstrating strong openness to hearing technology. By contrast, France recorded the lowest level of willingness, with 62% saying they would definitely or probably consider using a hearing device if needed. Despite this openness, perceptions of stigma remained widespread. In Spain, for example, 90% of respondents said they would consider using a hearing device, if necessary, yet 60% still believe stigma exists. A similar picture emerged in Mexico, where 93% would consider hearing technology, while 71% said stigma around hearing aids and hearing implants remains a reality. Across all countries surveyed, at least half of respondents reported ongoing stigma, ranging from 50% in Austria to 71% in Mexico, with 59% in both Italy and Argentina, 57% in the UK, 53% in Germany, and 52% in the United States. “What surprised us most is that acceptance and stigma are not opposites,” says D'Haese. “Many people are open to using hearing technology themselves, yet still believe negative perceptions exist in society. That gap emerged in every country we surveyed.”

Breaking Down Barriers

For many people, hearing loss affects far more than their ability to hear. It can influence communication, relationships, confidence, and participation in everyday life. Greater awareness and understanding can help ensure that people feel comfortable seeking support when they need it. "Going through hearing loss at a young and influential age, still studying, was extremely tough, all I wanted was to 'fit in'," says Olivia, a cochlear implant user and Hearpeers Mentor from Australia. "It has taken me time to accept my hearing loss, discover my 'deaf identity' and adjust to life with cochlear implants, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Since receiving my implants, I have been able to go on to further study, and am a much more confident person. I can start conversations with new people, and can confidently order a coffee by myself at a café. It is small things to others that are massive things to me!" Stories like Olivia's highlight how concerns about fitting in and being perceived differently can shape people's hearing journeys, reinforcing the need to challenge stigma and encourage open conversations about hearing health.

*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 142 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