The economic and social impact of hearing loss in New Zealand

The National Foundation for the Deaf (NFD) recently released a major report on the economic and social impact of hearing loss in New Zealand.

The report was compiled by experienced health economists at Deloittes Access Economics, so has credible, robust data to support its findings.

Listen Hear! New Zealand is sobering reading. The report estimates that in 2016 the total economic and well being costs of hearing loss were $4.9 billion: loss of well being at $3.9 billion—about 80% of the total — and the economic cost at $957.3 million.

Hearing is a primary sense and losing it limits a person’s ability to interact with the community. There are many causes – congenital, environmental, age, disease, trauma, drugs and medicines. It may be short-term or permanent, and as the statistics below indicate, is common in New Zealand.

The findings are sobering

Did you know:

880,350 New Zealanders have hearing loss, which is just over one person in every five
Over half of those people are male (53.7%)
The annual lost productivity cost is $552.5m (reduced employment, temporary absenteeism, and reduced productivity)
As a result, the Government lost $254.6m in tax revenue in the year ending June 2016
The annual cost to the health system is $131.8m
Other financial costs included hearing aids, equipment and modifications ($79.3m) and formal care ($4m)
$5.5m is spent on NZ Sign Language interpreter support
Government programmes spent $6.8m
The cost of tinnitus was about $7.5m
Noise-induced hearing loss, significant in later life, affects more males than females. From 1998-2000 it was the second-most voluntarily reported condition in New Zealand.

Further study and better reporting needed

New Zealand lacks epidemiological data for hearing loss and ear disease so the results are estimates, but do indicate that people can face significant issues and experience high barriers to services, recognition and support.

Government funding for hearing aids is available at different levels through various mechanisms, but this funding does not meet the full costs of providing hearing aids for most adults.

DHBs have no public expenditure data available for their services, which makes it difficult to understand the full economic costs and assess whether people are receiving the services they need.

The report concludes that further study and better reporting is needed.

You can download the full report, Listen Hear! New Zealand, from NFD’s website.

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