Facts and figures: life in the UK for people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus

Over 18 million people in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus – that’s one in three people. That number includes:

• over half the population aged 55 or more who have hearing loss, rising to almost 80% of people over the age of 70
• the British Deaf Association estimates that there are over 150,000 people in the UK who use British Sign Language (BSL), of whom 87,000 are deaf
• 1 in 7 adults have tinnitus – in the UK, that’s more than 7 million people

Employment

Find facts and figures about employment in our evidence pack.

Health

• People who are deaf or have hearing loss are more likely to have multiple health conditions and overall worse health status compared to those without hearing loss [1].
• Deaf people and people with hearing loss are more likely to experience mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Research suggests the risk may be higher for older adults and people with untreated hearing loss [2].

Access to healthcare

Find facts and figures about access to healthcare in our evidence pack.

Hearing health

• An estimated 10 million adults could benefit from hearing aids but only about 3 million people use them [3].
• 38% of people who think they may have a hearing loss have not spoken to a professional about it [4].
• The average number of people waiting for audiology assessment appointments increased by 78% between 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2022 [5].
• Hearing aids have multiple benefits for health and wellbeing, including improved communication and social connection, increased quality of life, and reduced listening effort [6].
• 66% of people surveyed by RNID had been told ear wax removal was no longer available on the NHS, but more than a quarter of respondents could not afford to get their wax removed privately. 71% had attempted to remove ear wax themselves [7].

Inclusion

Find facts and figures about access to public transport in our evidence pack.

• In the UK there are currently around 1,500 registered sign language interpreters. With up to 87,000 deaf BSL users in the UK, that’s roughly only 1 interpreter for every 60 deaf BSL users [1].
• Over two thirds (67%) of deaf people and people with hearing loss had experienced negative attitudes or behaviours in the last year [2]
• People who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus experience issues accessing or communicating with essential everyday services, in particular utilities companies, supermarkets, and essential retail [2].
• Hearing loss is associated with a higher risk of loneliness and social isolation [3].
• 9 out of 10 people with hearing loss and who were deaf usually or always use subtitles when watching TV. However, 97% of people found there were no subtitles when they tried to watch a programme [4].