Hearing aid sales grew in Europe in 2022. Is this because of greater awareness of hearing health?
Europe's biggest hearing aid manufacturers announced sales of 20.25 million units in 2022. Is this stable demand - 4.7% growth on 2021 - the result of growing awareness of hearing care benefits?
In issuing this healthy 2022 figure, the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA) pointed to evidence from its multi-national survey – EuroTrak – showing that “awareness of the various benefits of hearing care has increased in several countries”.
Most hearing aid users say hearing devices increased quality of life
Pooled data from the year 2022 records that 96% of hearing aid users surveyed in France, the UK and Germany report a higher quality of life after having been fitted with hearing aids, EHIMA points out. For 92% of EuroTrak respondents, hearing aids are useful in their jobs, while 62% regret not having adopted hearing aids earlier.
“The aggregate data shows continuous demand for high quality hearing care in many countries, as more and more people pay closer attention to their hearing needs. Together with our partners, such as medical, professional and patients’ organisations, EHIMA continues to raise public awareness of the benefits of timely and professional hearing health care,” stated EHIMA President Arnd Kaldowski (who is also CEO of the Swiss group, Sonova).
A look at sales over recent years shows a steep increase from pre-Covid levels due to catch-up demand in 2021. Covid lockdowns across Europe in 2020 hit the market hard: sales dropped 17.2% against 2019.
EHIMA’s work includes striving to create awareness of the benefits of hearing instruments. Based on data from London’s Brunel University, the association points out that untreated hearing loss costs the EU and UK €185 billion a year, and argues that hearing aids and hearing implants help to reduce these costs.
Source: EHIMA
