Cochlear Implant Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type of Fitting (Unilateral Implants, Bilateral Implants), By End Use (Adult, Pediatric), By End Use (Hospitals, Clinics And Others), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global cochlear implant market size was valued at USD 1.6 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.91% from 2023 to 2030. The growing prevalence of hearing loss and increase in adoption due to technological advancements are the factors expected to drive the growth of the market. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics 2021, approximately 5.0% of the global population (430 million people) undergoes rehabilitation to aid their loss of hearing. Over 2.5 billion individuals are estimated to suffer from some degree of hearing loss by 2050.

Hearing loss has become a major concern in the past few years and can be attributed to various factors including genetic factors, intrauterine infections, birth asphyxia, cerumen impaction, ototoxic medications, and others. These people can benefit from assistive devices including cochlear implants, hearing aids, and others. Favorable reimbursement, the introduction of minimally invasive procedures, and technological advancements are boosting the adoption of cochlear implants.

Several initiatives are being undertaken by the government and various organizations to support research in the field of cochlear implantation. For instance, in March 2022 members of the American Cochlear Implant (ACI) Alliance shared research and clinical practice with the other community members at the 2022 American Academy of Audiology (AAA) conference. The conference was organized to connect with peers in the community, stay updated with upcoming information, and know about recent developments in the audiological industry. This is likely to favor the cochlear implant market growth.

Moreover, the rising geriatric population is expected to propel the growth of the cochlear implants market. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the population aged 60 years and above is accounted for above  1.0 billion in 2020 and is estimated to reach 1.4 billion by 2050. As hearing ability decreases with the age, an increase in the age population is expected to bode well with the market.

The onset of COVID-19 imposed restrictions on audiology surgery and treatment services. While drilling in the mastoid cavity, the probability of aerosolizing the virus posed a greater risk of contamination during neurotological (subcategory of ENT) surgeries. This led to the screening of patients for COVID-19 prior to surgery, which delayed the surgical treatments.

Additionally, the children with cochlear implants require Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) at least during the initial 2 years of the implantation, to better understand the auditory information and to learn speech-language skills. Moreover, appointments for the rehabilitation process after surgery were also postponed or delayed. However, surgeries resumed gradually at a different pace in accordance with the relaxations on COVID-19 restrictions in different countries. With the help of telemedicine, audiology surgeries and treatment methods are recovering gradually from the adverse impact of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Cochlear Implant Market Impact: 2.3% increase from 2019 to 2021

In the current scenario, the market is slowly recovering with the rise in investment and with the help of telemedicine. For instance, in April 2020, Cochlear Ltd. received FDA approval for Remote Check Solution in the U.S. It is a telehealth patient assessment tool for patients with cochlear implants having Nucleus 7 Sound Processor. They can conduct a series of hearing assessments with the aid of the Nucleus Smart App.

Type Of Fitting Insights

Based on the type of fitting, the market is segmented into unilateral and bilateral implants. The unilateral implants segment dominated the market with a share of 87.7% in 2022. The growth can be attributed to the high demand for unilateral implants owing to easier reimbursement of these devices, their lower cost when compared to bilateral implants, shorter surgery duration, and low anesthesia requirement.

The bilateral implants segment is expected to witness lucrative growth of 9.89% during the forecast period. This can be attributed to its cost-effectiveness when implanted in children since these will be implanted for a longer duration as compared to the geriatric population. Additionally, the ability of these devices to recognize speech in noise is expected to drive segment growth. 

Furthermore, the segment is expected to witness significant growth owing to the increased spending on research, and innovative product launches by the key companies operating in the market. For instance, in January 2022, the US FDA approved Cochlear Nucleus Implants by Cochlear limited to treat unilateral hearing loss (single-sided deafness).

End-use Insights

Based on end-use, the cochlear implant market has been segmented into adult and pediatric. The adult segment with 60.1%, held the maximum market share in 2022 due to a larger elderly population patient pool. According to the National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorder, 2.0% of the population aged between 45 and 54 in the US suffers from disabling hearing loss, and around 8.5% of the population aged between 55 and 64 suffer from disabling hearing loss.

However, the pediatric segment is expected to grow at a substantial rate with a CAGR of 9.37% during the forecast period. According to the National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders, approximately 2 to 3 out of 1000 children suffer from detectable loss of hearing in the US.

Around 1 in 1000 live births in the US suffer from sensorineural unilateral hearing loss (UHL). To provide aid to these patients, in 2019, US Food and Drug Administration approved the cochlear implantation in children with single-sided deafness (SSD) aged 5 years and above in the US. Such initiatives are expected to drive the growth of the pediatric segment during the forecast period.

Regional Insights

Europe accounted for the largest revenue share of 39.3% in 2022 due to growing awareness about hearing aids, availability of clinics for speech therapy, and favorable reimbursement policies. The growth of the market in the region can be attributed to the technological advancements and starting new facilities in the European Union. For instance, in March 2020, MED-EL Medical Electronics became the first cochlear implant manufacturer to receive certification from European Medical Device Regulation (MDR).

However, Asia Pacific is projected to witness remarkable CAGR of 9.65% during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the rapidly increasing geriatric population coupled with rising awareness about hearing aids. The presence of government schemes to provide free treatment to the poor is expected to fuel the market in the Asia Pacific. For instance, The Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids/Appliances (ADIP) Scheme in India aims to conduct 500 cochlear implantation procedures per year for poor children.

The growth of the market can majorly be attributed to the presence of an advanced healthcare system in the European Union. The system allows children to receive cochlear implants before their first birthday. For instance, state finance to the health system allows around 95.0% of the children to benefit from a unilateral cochlear implant, whereas the comparable figure for the U.S. is merely 50.0%. Bilateral implants are the most preferred implants for pediatric patients due to their higher cost-effectiveness, whereas adults prefer unilateral implantation in most countries of the region.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is consolidated with the presence of a few established players. Product launches and research initiatives for the expansion of product portfolios are the key strategic undertakings of these companies to increase market share. In March 2022, So nova Holding AG acquired the consumer division of Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG which forms the 4^th business unit of So nova. This new consumer hearing division is expected to attract growth opportunities from a fast-growing market of audiophile headphones. Some of the prominent players in the global cochlear implant market include:

• Cochlear Ltd.

• So nova

• MED-EL Medical Electronics

• Demant A/S

• Zhejiang Nurotron Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

• Oticon Medical

• GAES

Cochlear Implant Market Report Scope

Global Cochlear Implant Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global Cochlear Implant Market Report based on the type of fittings, age group , end-use, and region:

• Type of Fitting Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • Unilateral Implants

  • Bilateral Implants

• Age Group Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • Adult

  • Pediatric

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • Hospitals

  • Clinics

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • UK

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • Japan

    • China

    • India

    • Australia

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Mexico

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa (MEA)

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE