62% of Indian families report hearing issues in the last five years: Survey

Around 62% of Indians have one or more family members who experienced some level of hearing issue in the last five years, according to a recent survey by community social media platform LocalCircles.

When asked about the causes of hearing loss, 56% of respondents attributed it to ageing, 12% to genetics or hereditary factors, 8% to COVID-19, 3% to COVID-19 vaccines, 4% to headphone use, 8% to medical conditions, and 3% to other unspecified reasons.

Hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit in India, with many affected individuals being children. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that around 63 million people, or 6.3% of the Indian population, suffer from significant auditory impairment. Many more experience milder degrees of hearing loss, including unilateral (one-sided) impairment.

The survey found that in 24% of families, five or more members had experienced hearing loss, 19% had two to four affected members, 19% had one, while 38% reported no cases of hearing loss.

The report highlights a significant issue compounded by a lack of awareness about early detection and treatment, limited access to audiologists and hearing aids in rural areas, and the social stigma associated with hearing impairment.

The survey, which comes in the backdrop of World Hearing Day on March 3, received over 31,000 responses from citizens across 311 districts of India. Of the respondents, 64% were men and 36% were women. Nearly half (47%) were from tier 1 cities, 26% from tier 2, and 27% from tier 3, 4, 5, and rural districts.