Most Australians say they trust audiologists more than any other source of hearing advice. Almost half did nothing about their hearing in the past year. And most have no idea that some of the clinics offering a free test are owned by the very companies whose hearing aids they sell. In January 2026 we surveyed 425 Australians to find out how the country actually thinks about its hearing, and the distance between what people believe and what they do turned out to be the story worth telling.
The findings are below, and the full report is free to download. Journalists, researchers and clinicians are welcome to cite it; details are at the foot of the page.
Download the full report (PDF)
Key findings at a glance
- 88.5% of Australians trust audiologists at least somewhat, against 54.1% for large retail chains and 21.7% for AI tools.
- 57.9% name cost as a top barrier to hearing aids, the single largest obstacle by a wide margin.
- 50% of under-30s would avoid hearing aids so as not to feel old, compared with 12.5% of over-75s.
- 49.2% used no hearing-related service in the past 12 months.
- Around 75% did not know some clinics are owned by hearing aid manufacturers (59.3% unaware, 16.0% unsure).
- Only 13.6% would seek help immediately after noticing a change in their hearing.
METHODOLOGY
Fieldwork: January 2026.
Design: A single survey of Australian adults, run through two channels: a national online consumer panel (Pollfish, 390 respondents) and a targeted distribution [SPECIFY: e.g. to the clinic’s patients / email subscribers / local community] of 35 respondents. Total sample: 425.
Reporting base: Unless stated otherwise, figures are reported on the full sample of 425. Two breakdowns, the age-related stigma table and the tinnitus comparison, are reported on the 390-respondent panel alone, because the two channels used different age bands and a different tinnitus scale.
Sample profile: Aged 18 to 89 (panel mean 53.4). Gender was recorded in the panel channel (51% female, 49% male). Every state and territory represented, weighted toward New South Wales (NSW 31%, VIC 24%, QLD 20%, WA 10%, SA 6%, TAS 5%, ACT 3%, NT 1%). The targeted channel drew more heavily on NSW and on people already familiar with hearing services, so where it shifts a figure, that figure is flagged.
Analysis: Figures are reported unweighted. As this is not a random probability sample, a traditional margin of error does not strictly apply; for a sample of this size a comparable 95% margin would sit at roughly ±5 percentage points.
Conducted in January 2026 for The Audiology Place.
1. Who Australians trust for hearing advice
Australians place far more trust in audiologists than in retail hearing chains or newer technologies. The gap is widest where it counts, in the share who trust a source completely.
| Source | Trust completely | Trust somewhat | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audiologists | 54.8% | 33.6% | 88.5% |
| Large retail hearing chains | 8.9% | 45.2% | 54.1% |
| AI tools or chatbots | 2.1% | 19.6% | 21.7% |
The 46-point gap in complete trust, 54.8% for audiologists against 8.9% for retail chains, is the clearest sign that Australians separate clinical care from the shopfront.
2. Cost is the biggest barrier to hearing aids
More than half of Australians name cost as a reason they would avoid a hearing aid, ahead of every other barrier by a wide margin. The open responses suggest the worry is bound up with value and sales pressure as much as the price itself.
| Barrier | % citing |
|---|---|
| Cost | 57.9% |
| Concern about how they look | 28.2% |
| Not wanting to feel old | 28.0% |
| Anxiety or fear about using them | 26.7% |
| Nothing would stop me | 22.6% |
| Feeling pressured to buy | 20.2% |
Anxiety or fear was offered as an option only in the panel channel (n=390); all other barriers are reported on the full 425.
3. Younger Australians worry most about looking old
One of the survey’s most counterintuitive results: the fear of feeling old falls steadily as people age. The Australians least likely to need a hearing aid are the ones most bothered by what wearing one would say about them.
| Age group | “Not wanting to feel old” as a barrier |
|---|---|
| 18–29 years | 50.0% |
| 30–44 years | 40.3% |
| 45–59 years | 27.0% |
| 60–74 years | 18.8% |
| 75+ years | 12.5% |
Half of under-30s would avoid a hearing aid to avoid feeling old, against 12.5% of the over-75s who actually wear them. The mental picture younger Australians carry is decades out of date.
This breakdown is from the 390-respondent national panel; the targeted channel used different age bands and could not be merged into it.
4. Nearly half took no action on their hearing last year
49.2% of respondents used no hearing-related service at all in the past 12 months. That is a large group of people living with their hearing unchecked, whatever its state.
| Service used (past 12 months) | % of respondents |
|---|---|
| None of the above | 49.2% |
| Had a hearing test | 26.6% |
| Wax removal | 19.1% |
| Seen an audiologist | 14.6% |
| Spoke to a GP about hearing | 14.4% |
5. Most people don’t know who owns the clinic
A clear transparency gap runs through the data. Around 75% of Australians were unaware or unsure that some hearing clinics are owned by hearing aid manufacturers, which shapes how freely they can weigh up a recommendation.
| Aware clinics may be manufacturer-owned? | % of respondents |
|---|---|
| No | 59.3% |
| Yes | 24.7% |
| Unsure | 16.0% |
6. How long Australians wait before seeking help
Only 13.6% would seek professional help immediately if they noticed a change such as ringing or a blocked ear. Nearly a quarter, 25.4%, would wait months, mention it casually to a GP if it happened to come up, or never mention it at all. A symptom does not wait while a person decides whether it is worth a fuss.
7. Tinnitus pushes people to act
Tinnitus is one of the few things that reliably moves people off the fence. Among panel respondents who rated their tinnitus at 50 or higher on a 100-point scale, about 26% had taken no action in the past year, against 56% of those who rated it below 50. When the sound becomes hard to ignore, behaviour changes.
This comparison is from the national panel, which measured tinnitus on a 100-point scale.
What the findings mean
For patients. Trust in audiologists is already high; the harder problem is the first phone call. Knowing who owns a clinic, and that modern hearing aids look nothing like the devices of twenty years ago, removes two of the quiet reasons people put it off.
For independent providers. The trust advantage over retail chains is real and measurable, and it rests on clinical expertise, professional qualifications and the absence of manufacturer ties.
For public health. The near-half who did nothing last year, set beside the small share who would act immediately, points to hearing being treated as a crisis response rather than routine care. Regular checks from midlife, framed the way dental and eye checks already are, would meet people earlier.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Australians trust audiologists?
88.5% trust audiologists at least somewhat and 54.8% trust them completely, making audiologists the most trusted source of hearing advice in the survey, ahead of large retail chains (54.1%) and AI tools (21.7%).
What is the biggest barrier to getting a hearing aid in Australia?
Cost, cited by 57.9% of respondents as a top-three reason they would avoid a hearing aid, well ahead of appearance (28.2%) and not wanting to feel old (28.0%).
Do Australians know that some hearing clinics are owned by hearing aid manufacturers?
Most do not. 59.3% were unaware and a further 16.0% were unsure, so around 75% did not know some clinics are manufacturer-owned.
How many Australians take action on their hearing each year?
49.2% used no hearing-related service in the past 12 months. Over the same period 26.6% had a hearing test and 14.6% saw an audiologist.
Who worries most that hearing aids make you look old?
Younger Australians. 50% of under-30s named not wanting to feel old as a barrier, falling to 12.5% of over-75s.
How quickly would Australians seek help for a hearing change?
Only 13.6% would seek professional help immediately. Around 25.4% would wait months, mention it casually to a GP, or never mention it at all.
How to cite this study
The Audiology Place. (2026). 2026 Hearing Services Survey: Australian Attitudes to Hearing Services. Retrieved from https://www.theaudiologyplace.com.au/2026-hearing-services-survey/
Media enquiries and full data requests: admin@theaudiologyplace.com.au
