BIHIMA has released Q1 2026 data on hearing technology market figures, revealing an uplift in overall sales alongside notable growth in rechargeable adoption.
- UK private hearing instrument sales increased by 12.5% on Q4 2025.
- UK NHS (public) sales dropped by 9%, above Q3 levels and recovering from Q4.
- ROI sales jumped to 33,920 – a substantial increase of 33% on Q4.
BIHIMA – the British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association – has released the latest Q1 2026 data on hearing instrument sales across the UK and Republic of Ireland (ROI), pointing to a strong start to the year.
UK private sales of 145,575 units have surpassed recent sales, with a 12.5% jump on 129,371 unit sales in Q4, suggesting good consumer engagement with the private hearing care sector.
Public (NHS) sales of 457,247 are lower than the 503,462 recorded at the end of Q4 2025, however they are higher than Q3 and Q2 figures of the same year. In the ROI, we’ve seen a significant increase of 33% with 33,920 units sold compared to Q4 2025, which is also a 26% increase compared to Q1 2025.
Rechargeables: a pivotal shift in public sector adoption
Rechargeable hearing instruments continue to dominate private sales in the UK, with 135,847 units sold in Q1 2026 – equivalent to 93% of all private sales and a further increase on the previous quarter, extending a consistent trend of approximately 1.5 percentage point growth every quarter.
At 26,287 units, rechargeables now represent 5.8% of all public (NHS) sector sales – a significant jump from the 3.6% rate that has remained broadly static for the previous year.
In the ROI, rechargeable units account for 67% of sales – a slight reduction on previous quarters, though rechargeable hearing devices continue to represent the clear majority of the Irish market.
Paul Surridge, Chairman of BIHIMA, said: “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.
