A new international study examining hearing sensitivity across diverse global populations has found that women, on average, have more sensitive hearing than men—by approximately two decibels. Researchers also found that environmental factors, such as altitude and surrounding soundscapes, play a significant role in how individuals perceive sound.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, involved researchers from the Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research (CRBE) in Toulouse, France, and the University of Bath in the UK. Led by Dr. Patricia Balaresque, the team conducted hearing tests on 450 healthy individuals across 13 populations in Ecuador, England, Gabon, South Africa, and Uzbekistan. These populations were specifically chosen to reflect a broad range of ecological and cultural contexts, including underrepresented rural and non-European communities.
The research measured cochlear sensitivity using Transient-Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAE)—a non-invasive method that assesses the ear’s ability to generate and transmit sounds in response to auditory stimuli.
Differences Between Men and Women
The results showed a clear and consistent difference in hearing sensitivity between men and women, with women demonstrating significantly greater amplitude in cochlear response across all populations studied.
“We were surprised to find that women had two decibels more sensitive hearing across all the populations we measured, and this accounted for most of the variations between individuals,” said Professor Turi King, a co-author of the study from the University of Bath.
“This could be due to different exposure to hormones during development in the womb, due to men and women having slight structural differences in cochlear anatomy. As well as having higher hearing sensitivity, women also perform better in other hearing tests and speech perception, indicating that their brains are also better at processing the information. We don’t really know why this might be, but given the detrimental effect of noise on overall health such as sleep quality and increased cardiovascular disease, having more sensitive hearing in noisy environments may not always be a good thing.”
–Professor Turi King
Dr. Balaresque noted that the findings challenge existing assumptions and underline the importance of considering a broader range of influences when studying auditory function.
“Our findings challenge existing assumptions and highlight the need to consider both biological and environmental factors when studying hearing. Identifying drivers behind natural hearing variation will improve our understanding of hearing loss and individual differences in noise tolerance,” she said.
The Environment Matters Too
While biological differences explained a large portion of individual variation in hearing sensitivity, the environment emerged as the next most influential factor. Individuals living in densely forested regions exhibited the highest hearing sensitivity, while those residing at high altitudes tended to have the lowest.
Researchers suggest several possible explanations for these environmental effects. People living in forested areas may have developed heightened hearing sensitivity to navigate complex natural soundscapes, where being able to detect subtle non-human sounds is important for safety and communication. Lower levels of environmental pollution may also contribute to better auditory function.
Conversely, those living at high altitudes may experience diminished hearing sensitivity due to the effects of lower atmospheric pressure, changes in sound propagation, or long-term physiological adaptations to reduced oxygen levels. The study also found that individuals in urban environments showed a tendency toward perceiving higher frequency sounds—potentially a response to filtering out the low-frequency hum of traffic and other city noise.
Confirming Previous Findings
The study further confirmed previous findings that individuals generally have better hearing in their right ear, and that hearing declines with age. However, the influence of sex and environmental context were found to be more significant than age in shaping overall hearing sensitivity.
The researchers employed advanced modelling techniques to evaluate how various factors—such as population group, environment type, language family, age, and ear side—interacted with cochlear sensitivity across a wide frequency range. According to the results, biological factors like sex had the greatest impact on amplitude, while environmental and cultural factors most strongly influenced frequency perception.
The findings, the researchers say, carry important implications for understanding not only hearing loss, but also how people across the globe may respond differently to noise exposure, hearing aids, and other interventions.
Professor King added, “We know that humans are continuing to evolve so the next question is whether our hearing is able to change in response to different environments generally or whether there are genetic adaptations involved.”
By incorporating both biological and environmental data, the study marks a step forward in understanding how hearing functions across diverse human populations—and what factors might help explain variations in hearing loss risk and resilience.
Reference:
- Balaresque, P., Delmotte, S., Delehelle, F. et al. Sex and environment shape cochlear sensitivity in human populations worldwide. Sci Rep 15, 10475 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92763-6
Source: Univ Bath, Scientific Reports
