Vicdeaf - Statistics on Deafness & Hearing Loss
Statistics
Listen Hear! The economic impact of hearing loss cost in Australia
One in six Australians is affected by hearing loss. Prevalence rates for hearing loss are associated with increasing age, rising from less than 1% for people aged younger than 15 years to three in every four people aged over 70 years. With an ageing population, hearing loss is predicted to increase to 1 in every 4 Australians by 2050. For more information on statistcs from the
Listen Hear! report by Access Economics.
Hearing Impairment In An Australia Population
In 1998 an audiologically assessed study of the prevalence of hearing impairment in a population was conducted. The study was titled "Hearing Impairment in an Australia Population" and was carried out by the Centre for Population Studies in Epidemiology, South Australian Department of Human Services. While the study was conducted in South Australia, the results, which are set out below, are regarded as representative of the Australian population.
Prevalence of hearing impairment increases steeply from 51 years onward and this increase is more pronounced for males than females. The overall prevalence of hearing impairment in the population is 22%. In addition, approximately 17% of the population have a level of impairment that is likely to be causing some speech discrimination difficulty (ie. disability). The relative degree of impairment was also investigated and classed into mild (21dBHL), moderate (>41dBHL) and severe (>61dBHL) categories.
The overall % of hearing loss prevalence was highest in the mild category (ie. hearing loss in the worse ear between 25 and 45 dBHL) at all age groups studied and also across both sexes.
Contact: Centre for Population Studies in Epidemiology, Department of Human Services Ph: (08) 8226 6396
Signing Deaf Population In Victoria
Rural Information Workers were funded by Department of Human Services in 2000 to obtain statistics on the signing Deaf population of Victoria. The Results were as follows:
| Victorian Region | Number |
| Hume | 100 |
| Lodden Mallee | 45 |
| Gippsland | 50 - 70 |
| Grampians | 40 - 50 |
| South West Region | 100 |
| Metropolitan Region | up to 5000 |
People With Hearing Loss And Partial Hearing Loss In Australia
The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted a study in 1993 to determine the combined total of hearing loss and partial hearing loss in Australia. The results were as follows
| State/Territory | Number |
| Victoria | 259,300 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 14,300 |
| New South Wales | 328,300 |
| Queensland | 182,600 |
| Northern Territory | 6,700 |
| Western Australia | 93,600 |
| South Australia | 87,500 |
| Tasmania | 27,400 |
| TOTAL IN AUSTRALIA - 999,800 |
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Incidence Of Deafness In Victoria
Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted a survey in 1998 regarding the incidence of deafness in Victoria
Contact: Space-Time Research. Website: www.str.com.au Email: support@str.com.au
National Acoustic Laboratories (The research arm of Australian Hearing)
The National Acoustic Laboratories undertake scientific investigations into hearing, hearing habilitation and rehabilitation, and the prevention of hearing loss.
Website: www.nal.gov.au
The Prevalence, Risk factors and Impacts of Hearing Impairment in an Older Australian Community
The Fourth (2002) Libby Harricks Memorial Oration monograph: “The Prevalence, Risk factors and Impacts of Hearing Impairment in an Older Australian Community “ - by Professor Paul Mitchell is available.
Blue Mountains Hearing Study
The Blue Mountains Hearing Study, a major research project is being conducted in conjunction with colleagues from Macquarie University, Sydney University, University of Western Sydney and Australian National University. This is an epidemiological study of hearing impairment in an older Australian population. Department of Health and Human Services & the NH & MRC fund this project.
Website: www.ling.mq.edu.au/audiology/researchProjects