The British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA) has released its Q1 2026 hearing instrument market data, showing growth across several key segments of the UK and Irish hearing care markets, including continued momentum in rechargeable hearing technology adoption.
According to the latest figures, UK private hearing instrument sales reached 145,575 units during the first quarter of 2026, representing a 12.5% increase over Q4 2025 sales of 129,371 units. BIHIMA said the increase suggests continued consumer engagement with the private hearing care sector.
In the UK public sector, 457,247 hearing instruments were supplied through the NHS during Q1. While this represents a decline from the 503,462 units reported in Q4 2025, NHS volumes remained above those recorded during Q2 and Q3 of last year.
The Republic of Ireland posted the strongest growth of the three markets, with hearing instrument sales reaching 33,920 units during the quarter—a 33% increase over Q4 2025 and a 26% increase compared to Q1 2025.
Rechargeable Adoption Continues to Grow
Rechargeable hearing instruments continued to account for the overwhelming majority of private-sector sales in the UK. During Q1, 135,847 rechargeable devices were sold, representing 93% of all private hearing instrument sales. BIHIMA noted that rechargeable adoption in the private market has increased by roughly 1.5 percentage points per quarter in recent years.
The most notable shift occurred within the NHS, where rechargeable devices accounted for 26,287 units, or 5.8% of all public-sector fittings. That figure represents a significant increase from the approximately 3.6% penetration rate that had remained largely unchanged over the previous year.
In the Republic of Ireland, rechargeable hearing instruments accounted for 67% of all sales. While slightly lower than recent quarters, rechargeable technology continues to represent the majority of the Irish hearing aid market.
Industry Perspective
“The data shows a strong start to 2026 and the breadth of growth we’ve seen in these latest figures is encouraging. In particular, the shift to a greater number of rechargeable hearing instruments in the NHS is a meaningful development towards improved sustainability.”
–Paul Surridge, Chairman of BIHIMA
Click here to download the full Q1 2026 report.
About BIHIMA
BIHIMA represents the hearing instrument manufacturers of Britain and Ireland, working in partnership with other professional, trade, regulatory and consumer organisations within the health care and charitable sectors. We raise consumer awareness about the latest hearing technology and aim to influence government and policy makers to improve the lives of people with hearing difficulties.
Source: BIHIMA
