Summary:
Despite advances in hearing technology and satisfaction rates, new Eurotrak UK 2025 data reveals that many people still avoid getting hearing instruments for the same reasons as in years past—rooted less in technology or cost and more in persistent stigma, denial, and outdated perceptions.
Key Takeaways:
- The top reasons for not adopting hearing instruments reflect denial and minimization rather than true coping.
- Stigma and outdated design perceptions continue to shape public attitudes, even as modern hearing aids are sleek, connected, and high-performing.
- Industry and advocacy efforts are reframing hearing instruments through inclusive campaigns and cultural initiatives that position hearing care as normal, aspirational, and empowering.
Despite rising satisfaction rates and life-changing technology, new Eurotrak UK 2025 data reveals that the top 10 reasons people avoid getting hearing instruments has barely shifted since 2022.
This suggests a persistent resistance to seeking help—one that isn’t solely about access or technology, but something deeper: perception, identity, and long-held stigma.
Paul Surridge, chairman of the British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA), which collected the data, reflects on the findings: “We’ve seen fantastic progress in satisfaction, app use, and daily wear time,” he says. “However, when we ask why people delay getting hearing instruments, the answers haven’t changed much in three years since the last Eurotrak survey. That tells us this isn’t a technology issue, but rather a mindset issue. We believe that this mindset is still shaped by stigma, whether people realize it or not.”
What are the top 10 reasons people don’t get hearing instruments?
According to the latest Eurotrak data, the top 10 reasons that people aren’t getting hearing instruments are:
- I hear well enough in most situations
- They are uncomfortable
- My hearing loss is not severe enough
- They do not work well in noisy situations
- They do not restore hearing to normal
- I have more serious priorities
- I cannot afford a hearing aid
- I would be embarrassed to wear a hearing aid
- They are bad designs
- I do not admit I have a hearing loss in public
Compared to Eurotrak 2022, the order has shifted slightly, with ‘I hear well enough’ now in the top spot. Some percentages have also softened. For example:
- “They are uncomfortable” dropped from 67% in 2022 to 63% in 2025
- “I would be embarrassed to wear a hearing aid” dropped from 58% to 51%
- “I do not admit I have a hearing loss in public” fell from 48% to 45%
But the overall list is strikingly similar.
The Illusion of ‘Not Bad Enough’
The top three reasons—hearing ‘well enough,’ discomfort, and believing their hearing loss isn’t severe—all stem from subconsciously trying to minimize the problem. This is despite research showing that any level of untreated hearing loss has significant links to isolation, loss of connection with others, and cognitive decline.
Surridge adds, “Many people tell themselves they’re coping fine, but what they’re really doing is adapting; withdrawing from noisy conversations, avoiding social settings, or relying heavily on others. That’s not coping, that’s missing out.”
Perhaps most telling are the more explicit markers of stigma: embarrassment, design concerns, and public denial. While they’ve decreased slightly since 2022, the fact that half of respondents still express these concerns paints a worrying picture.
Design dissatisfaction remains high at 50%, though we suggest this is more about perception of design rather than a reflection on the real products available. Although modern hearing instruments are more sleek, AI-powered, and app-connected, many people still imagine clunky beige devices from the past—something that isn’t helped by poor media representations of hearing instrument users.
“We’re still fighting an outdated image,” Surridge explains. “Hearing instruments today are smart, connected and customizable. But if that’s not what people picture when they think of a hearing device, then perception wins out over reality.”
Even responses like ‘cannot afford a hearing aid’ (52%) and ‘have more serious priorities’ (56%) have roots in how hearing loss is culturally valued; or, more importantly, devalued. When hearing is not seen as urgent, it becomes easier to delay or deprioritize care.
This is something BIHIMA has explored before, including in a recent post on hearing protection, where despite the dangers of noise exposure, uptake of protection remains shockingly low. Why? Because people don’t view their hearing as something worth safeguarding until it’s too late.
What’s being done to change the narrative around hearing loss?
There’s good news: stigma is slowly but steadily being challenged across the industry.
Earlier this year, DeafMetal was included in the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Design and Disability exhibition—a powerful example of how hearing instruments can be reframed not as a medical device, but as an expressive, wearable piece of technology.
At the same time, UK organizations like the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) are tackling stigma head-on. Their research found that nearly half of hearing‑aid users felt society still hadn’t accepted hearing aids in the same way as glasses, and 11% would even prefer to live with hearing loss rather than wear one. Their ongoing ‘It Does Matter’ campaign took these findings deeper, reporting that over half of their participants were regularly excluded from conversations, with people saying ‘it doesn’t matter’ when they struggled to understand what had been said. Through their campaign, people can sign up for free basic British Sign Language (BSL) lessons, while RNID has also committed to challenging misconceptions faced by people who are deaf or have hearing loss with major celebrity and public awareness campaigns.
Meanwhile, hearing-technology manufacturers like GN (who produce ReSound instruments) launched “The New Norm” image bank: a powerful visual challenge to outdated stereotypes. Featuring modern-day athletes, musicians, and creatives sporting sleek hearing instruments, this campaign made bold strides in normalizing hearing devices as desirable and dynamic accessories
“It’s time to talk about hearing loss the way we talk about vision or dental health,” says Surridge. “Nobody’s embarrassed to wear glasses. We need to get to the point where the same is true for hearing instruments.”
Where do we go from here?
According to BIHIMA, the Eurotrak 2025 data makes it clear: awareness alone isn’t enough. The organization recognizes that it’s important for its members and everyone in the hearing industry to also address identity, pride, and the subtle social cues that make people feel ashamed to seek help.
BIHIMA emphasizes the importance of everyone in the industry continuing to:
- Normalize hearing conversations in public and healthcare settings
- Educate young people on the risks of hearing loss
- Celebrate hearing technology as innovative and aspirational
- Support audiologists to advocate with empathy, not just information
Surridge concludes, “The reasons some people avoid hearing instruments may be familiar, but that doesn’t mean we should accept them. It’s our job as an industry to shift the culture so that more people can benefit from hearing care sooner.”
