How Many People Are Deaf? What Each Count Measures, by Age

Why there is no single count of deaf people

Each source counts a different group, so the totals don't match and none of them is a headcount of deaf people:

• Self-report. NIDCD says about 15% of American adults, 37.5 million people 18 and over, report some trouble hearing.
• Hearing exams. NIDCD also gives 1 in 8 people 12 or older, 30 million, with hearing loss in both ears based on standard hearing examinations.
• Hearing aid candidates. About 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids, by NIDCD's count.
• Census survey. The American Community Survey asks about being "deaf or having serious difficulty hearing" in a single question, so deaf people and people with serious difficulty hearing land in the same total.

The WHO draws the line between the two groups: "Deaf people mostly have profound hearing loss, which implies very little or no hearing", while hard of hearing covers hearing loss from mild to severe. Our deaf vs hard of hearing page has the Census survey figures for each state.

Hearing loss by age in the United States

The share rises steeply with age. NIDCD's figures, from birth to the oldest age group:

• At birth. About 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. More than 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents.
• Ages 45 to 54. About 5% of adults have disabling hearing loss.
• Ages 55 to 64. The rate increases to 10%.
• Ages 65 to 74. 22% have disabling hearing loss.
• 75 and older. 55% have disabling hearing loss.

These shares describe disabling hearing loss, which is a wider group than deaf people.

How many people are deaf worldwide

The WHO gives world figures for disabling hearing loss, which it defines as hearing loss greater than 35 decibels (dB) in the better hearing ear:

• Over 5% of the world's population, or 430 million people, require rehabilitation to address their disabling hearing loss, including 34 million children.
• Among people older than 60, over 25% are affected by disabling hearing loss.
• Children and teenagers: the WHO puts the number of 5- to 19-year-olds with hearing loss at about 95.1 million.
• By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss, and more than 700 million will require hearing rehabilitation.

So the share of the world that is deaf is smaller than 5%: that figure covers everyone with disabling hearing loss, and the WHO doesn't publish a world count of deaf people alone.

Is deafness a disability under the ADA?

Yes. ADA.gov lists "Deafness or hearing loss" among its examples of disabilities, next to cancer, diabetes and others. The practical rule that follows is about communication: "Covered entities must provide auxiliary aids and services when needed to communicate effectively with people who have communication disabilities." They "cannot require a person to bring someone to interpret for him or her." Our page on whether hearing loss is a disability covers the benefit programs.

How police communicate with deaf people

The Justice Department's ADA guide for law enforcement officers lists the aids officers can use, and sets limits:

• A sign language interpreter can be used when speaking with a person who knows sign language.
• When interpreters are needed, agencies must provide interpreters who can interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially.
• When responding to a call alleging spousal abuse, police should never rely on one spouse to interpret for the other.
• Agencies do not have to provide personally prescribed devices such as hearing aids.