In Singapore, hearing aids shed stigma as younger adults tune in
An ageing population, shifting attitudes and more willingness to spend on assistive tech are pushing hearing aids into the mainstream.
[SINGAPORE] “You have severe hearing loss in some frequencies. In fact, you already qualify for a hearing aid.”
I had long expected this diagnosis, but that did not make it easier to accept.
I am deaf to many high-pitched noises. I have had tinnitus – the constant ringing in the ears that is a sign of permanent damage – for years. This type of hearing loss is incurable, so now I’m looking for a hearing aid.
At 42, I’m around a decade early for the typical onset of age-related hearing loss, especially since “severe” is just a step below the highest level of hearing loss, “profound”.
Finding it increasingly difficult to hear people in noisy places and knowing that hearing loss is the single most important risk factor for dementia drove my decision to get a hearing aid.
Cases like mine are becoming more common.
“Over the last 10 to 15 years, there has been an increase in hearing aid adoption in Singapore,” says Karen Lai, country managing director and principal audiologist at 20dB Hearing Singapore. “This is especially evident among the working adult population in their 40s to 60s, and tech-savvy seniors.”
While age-related hearing loss and attendant hearing aid use by those 60 and above is on the rise, sector observers note that the adoption of such devices is increasing among younger adults, too. Plus, this demographic is spending more on the technology.
“Hearing aid users today are more informed, more demanding, and more willing to invest in solutions that enhance not only their hearing, but also their overall lifestyle and social participation,” says Lai.
The sector has evolved as well, with more hearing clinics and centres opening in Singapore as competition heats up.
Haven’t you heard?
Age-related hearing loss is increasingly common in Singapore as the population ages, but other factors such as exposure to loud noises may also contribute. PHOTO: BT FILE
According to the World Health Organization, more than 5 per cent of the global population, or around 430 million people, has disabling hearing loss. This figure is expected to grow to over 700 million by 2050 – or one in four individuals worldwide.
Unaddressed hearing loss costs the global economy US$1 trillion a year.
The Singapore Association for the Deaf estimates that around 500,000 people here suffer from some form of hearing loss. There are many causes, including noise exposure, genetic factors, and the side effects of certain medications.
Last year, the Ministry of Manpower said that noise-induced deafness was the top occupational disease in Singapore, with 300 cases reported in the first half of 2024.
There are no comprehensive official statistics on hearing loss or hearing aid use in the Republic, but both have increased in recent years, as the population ages and awareness of hearing loss grows through more screenings and public education.
Last September, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the prevalence of self-reported hearing loss in adults between the ages of 18 and 74 rose to 9.2 per cent in 2023, from 1.3 per cent in 2013. This increase was the most pronounced among adults aged 60 and above.
“Historically, the average hearing aid user in Singapore was around 70 years old, with most first-time users aged 65 and above. Over the past decade, we’ve seen more adults in the 40-to-60 age bracket seeking hearing solutions.”
-----Tony Lee, president and managing director of Demant South East Asia
Noise exposure is also a factor. Lai of 20dB points out that “Singapore, being a dense urban city, has multiple noise sources – MRT, traffic and dining areas can reach sound levels exceeding 85 decibels”.
“Long-term exposure to noise above this threshold can cause noise-induced hearing loss,” she adds. 20dB Hearing runs the largest chain of hearing centres in both Singapore and Malaysia.
Read the full article published in The Business Times on 5 Sep 2025:
