# Average Hearing Loss by Age: Statistics, Trends, and When It Begins

This breakdown of the average hearing loss by age reveals how hearing thresholds change over time as well as understanding how people experience hearing changes.

Author:

Nicole Brener

Hearing changes are a normal part of aging, but the average hearing loss by age varies widely, as does the average age for hearing loss to become noticeable. From **infants** born with detectable hearing problems to **adults in their 40s** noticing early high-frequency decline, each stage of life carries different risks and patterns.

By the time people reach their **60s and 70s**, hearing loss becomes far more common. By **age 75**, about half of American adults experience hearing thresholds that can significantly affect communication and quality of life, particularly among those who grew up hearing and later experience hearing changes.

Here’s a breakdown of the average hearing loss by age. In audiology, these thresholds are measured using pure-tone testing, a standard hearing test that identifies the quietest sounds a person can hear across different frequencies:

| Age Range | Average Hearing Threshold (dB HL) | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0–19 | 0–15 dB HL | Normal hearing for most, minimal loss in high frequencies may occur in teenagers with noise exposure. |
| 20–29 | 0–20 dB HL | Slight high-frequency loss can appear, often due to noise exposure. |
| 30–39 | 0–25 dB HL | Early signs of high-frequency loss, speech frequencies usually unaffected. |
| 40–49 | 5–30 dB HL | High-frequency loss is more noticeable, difficulty hearing soft consonants. |
| 50–59 | 10–35 dB HL | Mild to moderate loss in high frequencies, some may need amplification in noisy environments. |
| 60–69 | 20–40 dB HL | Moderate high-frequency loss is common, clarity of speech decreases. |
| 70–79 | 30–50 dB HL | Moderate to severe loss, many have trouble understanding speech without hearing aids. |
| 80+ | 40–60+ dB HL | Severe loss in higher frequencies, even conversational speech can be difficult. |

These averages can also vary depending on the type of hearing loss, such as sensorineural, conductive, or mixed hearing loss, each of which affects hearing in different ways.

## Average Hearing Loss by Age - Key Statistics

### 1. One-third of adults aged 65-74 have measurable hearing loss

About **33%** of adults develop hearing loss by their **early 70s**, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). An [Australian study](https://www.health.gov.au/topics/ear-health/about) found that prevalence rises steeply with age, affecting **70% of adults over 70** and nearly **80% of those in their 80s**.

### 2. Half of adults over 75 experience hearing thresholds that significantly affect everyday communication if unmanaged

Roughly **50% of adults over 75** live with hearing thresholds that can interfere with everyday communication and reduce quality of life if unmanaged or developed later in life. This typically corresponds to a hearing threshold above **40 dB HL**, often requiring hearing aids or other interventions to manage.

### 3. Hearing loss becomes noticeable for most people after age 40

When looking at the average age for hearing loss, **most people hear well throughout their 30s**, averaging just **10-15 decibels of hearing loss** (dB HL). But once people reach their **40s**, hearing starts to decline more quickly, especially at higher pitches like **2000 Hz and above**.

The drop becomes steeper with each passing decade, especially at **4000 and 8000 Hz**.

## Additional Statistics on the Average Age for Hearing Loss

### 1. From middle age onward, men lose hearing faster than women

Men show steeper losses than women, especially at **2000 and 4000 Hz**, starting in **middle age**. By age **80 and older**, men often reach **50-70 dB HL** at these frequencies, while women generally have a lower average hearing loss by age, with the gap only narrowing in their late **80s and 90s**.

### 2. About 14% of U.S. adults ages 20-69 have difficulty with normal speech frequencies

[Hearing loss statistics](https://nagish.com/post/hearing-loss-statistics) reveal that in America, nearly **1 in 7 adults** between ages **20 and 69** have trouble hearing normal speech frequencies. While some of this is due to noise exposure and other risk factors, much of it reflects the early onset of presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss.

### 3. Nearly 4 in 10 adults in their 60s have trouble hearing speech sounds

Prevalence rises steeply with age. Among adults aged **60-69**, **39.3%** experience measurable difficulty hearing speech, particularly in environments with background noise. This marks a turning point where hearing loss can begin to significantly affect daily communication and quality of life for people who previously had no difficulty hearing.

### 4. High-pitched sounds are hardest to hear with age, especially after age 90

The sharpest losses occur with very high-pitched sounds, around **8000 hertz**. By the oldest age groups, men and women both show severe declines, often with equal ability for high-frequency hearing. By age **90 and older**, high-frequency thresholds average above **60 decibels**, and even lower-pitched sounds often require **30-40 decibels** more volume to hear clearly.

### 5. Up to .03% of children are born with hearing loss

In the United States, newborn hearing screenings detect hearing loss in **2-3 out of every 1,000 babies**. Meanwhile, there are nearly [98 million children and teens](https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-20010-0) living with hearing loss worldwide, emphasizing that incidence of hearing loss can occur before birth or at a very young age. According to the World Health Organization, nearly [60% of hearing loss in children](https://www.who.int/) is linked to avoidable causes, such as infections or lack of early care.

## What the Average Hearing Loss by Age Reveals

Looking at both the average hearing loss by age and the average age for hearing loss to become noticeable helps clarify when changes typically begin and how they progress over time.

- **Early adulthood**: Mild hearing loss may appear in some adults by their **30s**, often related to loud noise exposure or ototoxic medications.
- **Middle age**: The average age for hearing loss to become noticeable is around **40**, particularly in higher frequencies. Audiograms reveal thresholds slowly rising toward **25-40 dB HL**.
- **Older adults**: By **65-74** years of age, about one-third experience a measurable degree of hearing loss. Half of adults over **75** have severe hearing loss that can affect communication and quality of life if they grew up without difficulty hearing and their hearing loss is unmanaged.
- **Speech understanding**: Difficulty hearing normal speech sounds increases with age. With the increasing average hearing loss by age, nearly **40%** of adults in their **60s** can experience difficulty, especially in background noise.
- **Long-term health impacts**: Among people who develop hearing loss in adulthood, unmanaged hearing impairment can negatively affect cognitive decline, mental health, and daily activities, underscoring the importance of early hearing tests and interventions.
- **Public health implications**: The epidemiology of age-related hearing loss highlights the need for regular audiometric screening, hearing healthcare access, and preventive strategies. These statistics mainly describe age-related hearing changes in people who grew up hearing. Deaf individuals who use American Sign Language (ASL) and are part of a strong cultural community often describe their experiences in very different terms.