Global, regional, and national burden of hearing loss from 1990 to 2021: findings from the 2021 global burden of disease study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Global epidemiological modeling and trend analysis of population surveillance and observational data (by design analogy, not clinical CEBM).
PubMed 40605509 · doi:10.1080/07853890.2025.2527367
What was done
Using data from the 2021 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD), researchers analyzed the global, regional, and national prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) due to hearing loss from 1990 to 2021, along with projections through 2050. Trends were assessed using age-standardized prevalence rates (ASPR), age-standardized YLD rates (ASYR), and estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs), stratified by sociodemographic index (SDI), age, and sex.
What was found
In 2021, over 1.5 billion individuals had hearing loss. Between 1990 and 2021, the EAPC for ASPR was 0.16 (95% CI: 0.15-0.17) and for ASYR was 0.17 (95% CI: 0.16-0.18). Middle-SDI regions experienced the highest prevalence, ASPR, YLDs, and ASYR, while high-SDI regions experienced the lowest. ASPR and ASYR were negatively correlated with SDI across most regions, increased with advancing age, and were significantly higher in males than females. Projections from 2022 to 2050 forecast a continued rise in ASPR with a slight reduction in ASYR.
Why it matters
This study provides updated global surveillance metrics demonstrating that the burden of hearing loss is expanding worldwide, highlighting disparities across development strata and identifying key demographic risk groups for targeted intervention.
Limits
As a secondary analysis using GBD modeled estimates, findings are constrained by variations in data availability, reporting standards, and diagnostic criteria across different countries. The abstract provides no primary sample counts, etiology breakdowns, or specific audiometric severity definitions.
Cited by
- supports Hearing loss currently affects 1.5 billion people worldwide and disables 500 million of them.