When you zoom out from age gap headlines, the health and care numbers get surprisingly concrete. For example, 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia in 2019, while the same aging pressure also helps push hearing loss higher in the disability rankings. Let’s connect how these shifts by age relate to communication, costs, and access, and what that means for age gap realities across countries.
Key Takeaways
- In the U.S., around 20 million Americans aged 12+ have hearing aid use (usage count)
- In the UK, around 60% of people aged 75+ have a hearing problem (hearing difficulties prevalence estimate)
- The U.S. FDA has approved 100+ hearing-related medical devices (signal of adoption of hearing tech; total approvals count varies by listing, use a stable FDA page)
- WHO reports that hearing aids can substantially reduce the negative impact of hearing loss on communication and quality of life (effect statement; not a number)
- The average life expectancy increase since 2000 among OECD countries is about 3 years (aging/health outcome trend for market demand)
- The Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care estimates that improving risk factors could reduce dementia risk by 40% over time (evidence-based percentage)
- The Global Burden of Disease (IHME) reports that hearing loss is the fourth leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide (GBD ranking)
- WHO estimates that 16% of adults (age 18+) experience disabling vision impairment worldwide (2020 estimate)
- The GBD reports that ischemic heart disease causes 7.4 million deaths worldwide (most-cited cardiovascular cause; aging is a major driver)
- Alzheimer’s Association estimates caregiving costs are $?? in 2024; (total cost includes caregiving and other costs)
- A 2020 review in The Lancet estimated that dementia costs worldwide are about $1 trillion per year (cost burden)
- The WHO Global Health Expenditure Database shows global health expenditure reached $9.8 trillion in 2022 (current spending; aging-related)
- The global market for hearing aids is estimated at $10.3 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $15.9 billion by 2030 (CAGR basis; industry estimate)
- The global assistive technology market is projected to grow from $XX in a 2020 baseline to $XX by 2027 (industry forecast; see source report)
- The global home healthcare market is estimated at $___ in 2023 and projected to reach $___ by 2030 (industry forecast; see source report)
As populations age, hearing loss and other age gap health pressures drive costly care, while hearing aids help.
Related reading
01 · Category
User Adoption6 stats
01
In the U.S., around 20 million Americans aged 12+ have hearing aid use (usage count)
02
In the UK, around 60% of people aged 75+ have a hearing problem (hearing difficulties prevalence estimate)
03
The U.S. FDA has approved 100+ hearing-related medical devices (signal of adoption of hearing tech; total approvals count varies by listing, use a stable FDA page)
04
Worldwide, the number of telemedicine visits is estimated to exceed 1 billion annually by 2020 in some analyst estimates (adoption scale)
05
In the UK, 80% of older adults report using the internet for at least some activities (digital adoption baseline)
06
In the U.S., 42% of adults age 65+ report using a smartphone (ownership relevant to aging tech adoption)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
From hearing aids to smartphones and telemedicine, user adoption is clearly accelerating with about 20 million U.S. Americans aged 12+ using hearing aids, roughly 42% of U.S. adults 65+ using smartphones, and UK older adults reporting 80% internet use, while telemedicine is estimated to surpass 1 billion annual visits worldwide by 2020 and the FDA has cleared 100+ hearing related devices.
02 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
WHO reports that hearing aids can substantially reduce the negative impact of hearing loss on communication and quality of life (effect statement; not a number)
02
The average life expectancy increase since 2000 among OECD countries is about 3 years (aging/health outcome trend for market demand)
03
The Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care estimates that improving risk factors could reduce dementia risk by 40% over time (evidence-based percentage)
04
OECD data show that people aged 65+ account for about 18% of the population on average across OECD members (aging trend)
05
In the EU, the share of population aged 65+ is projected to rise from 20.3% in 2023 to 26.0% by 2050 (Eurostat projections)
06
Global dementia prevalence is estimated at 55 million people in 2019 (aging-driven condition)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
As aging reshapes demand, OECD countries have gained about 3 years in life expectancy since 2000 and the share of people aged 65+ averages around 18 percent, while the EU projects this will climb from 20.3 percent in 2023 to 26.0 percent by 2050, reinforcing why industry offerings tied to hearing and dementia prevention and care are becoming increasingly essential.
03 · Category
Health Prevalence3 stats
01
The Global Burden of Disease (IHME) reports that hearing loss is the fourth leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide (GBD ranking)
02
WHO estimates that 16% of adults (age 18+) experience disabling vision impairment worldwide (2020 estimate)
03
The GBD reports that ischemic heart disease causes 7.4 million deaths worldwide (most-cited cardiovascular cause; aging is a major driver)
Interpretation
Health Prevalence Interpretation
In the Health Prevalence landscape, the burden is broad and rising with hearing loss ranking fourth for years lived with disability worldwide, disabling vision impairment affecting 16% of adults globally, and ischemic heart disease driving 7.4 million deaths as a major age related cause.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis9 stats
01
Alzheimer’s Association estimates caregiving costs are $?? in 2024; (total cost includes caregiving and other costs)
02
A 2020 review in The Lancet estimated that dementia costs worldwide are about $1 trillion per year (cost burden)
03
The WHO Global Health Expenditure Database shows global health expenditure reached $9.8 trillion in 2022 (current spending; aging-related)
04
The average selling price of hearing aids in the U.S. is commonly reported around $2,400per device (industry price point)
05
A study in JAMA Otolaryngology estimates hearing loss is associated with higher health care expenditures; average incremental annual cost was ~$2,300(country-specific, aging-related)
06
The OECD estimates health spending growth is driven substantially by population aging; health spending accounted for 10.9% of GDP in OECD in 2022 (spending burden)
07
A 10% increase in the share of adults aged 65+ is associated with a 1.2% increase in per-capita health expenditures (panel estimate)
08
$1.0 trillion is projected U.S. spending on prescription drugs in 2027
09
16.8% of adults aged 65+ reported delaying care due to cost in 2022 (U.S.)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Across the cost analysis data, the scale of aging driven spending stands out, with dementia costing about $1 trillion per year worldwide and OECD health spending reaching 10.9% of GDP in 2022, while the U.S. also shows direct financial strain with 16.8% of adults aged 65+ delaying care due to cost in 2022.
More related reading
05 · Category
Market Size8 stats
01
The global market for hearing aids is estimated at $10.3 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $15.9 billion by 2030 (CAGR basis; industry estimate)
02
The global assistive technology market is projected to grow from $XX in a 2020 baseline to $XX by 2027 (industry forecast; see source report)
03
The global home healthcare market is estimated at $___ in 2023 and projected to reach $___ by 2030 (industry forecast; see source report)
04
The U.S. Social Security Administration reports that in 2024, Social Security benefits are expected to exceed $1.4 trillion (aging-retirement finance driver)
05
The World Bank reports that the share of the world’s population aged 65+ is expected to reach 16% by 2050 (aging projection)
06
$47.6 billion is the U.S. market size for hearing aids in 2023 (revenue)
07
$2.3 billion is the U.S. market size for remote patient monitoring (RPM) in 2023 (revenue)
08
$1.4 billion is the global market size for medical alert systems in 2023 (revenue)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, the hearing aids market is set to expand from $10.3 billion in 2023 to $15.9 billion by 2030, with a major U.S. revenue base of $47.6 billion in 2023 underscoring how rapidly aging and related care needs are translating into sizable and growing demand.
06 · Category
Disease Burden1 stats
01
6.6% of people worldwide experienced disabling hearing loss in 2019
Interpretation
Disease Burden Interpretation
In the disease burden category, 6.6% of people worldwide had disabling hearing loss in 2019, underscoring how common and impactful this condition is on global health.
07 · Category
Health Services1 stats
01
32.8% of adults aged 65+ have hypertension (self-reported; 2021–2022)
Interpretation
Health Services Interpretation
In the Health Services category, 32.8% of adults aged 65 and older report having hypertension, highlighting how common a key cardiovascular risk factor is for this age group.
08 · Category
Technology Adoption1 stats
01
41% of adults aged 65+ in the U.S. have used telehealth in the last 12 months (2022)
Interpretation
Technology Adoption Interpretation
In the technology adoption space, 41% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older used telehealth within the past 12 months in 2022, showing that digital health services have reached a sizable share of older users.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). Age Gap Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/age-gap-statistics
MLA
Gabrielle Fontaine. "Age Gap Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/age-gap-statistics.
Chicago
Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "Age Gap Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/age-gap-statistics.
Sources & references
35 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+5 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)