Hearing aid wait times may grow as Denmark faces audiologist shortage

Denmark’s only audiologist training program at the University of Southern Denmark is producing too few graduates, raising concerns that public waiting times for hearing aids will lengthen further, national broadcaster DR reports.

The Hearing Association warns that 800,000 Danes already experience some degree of hearing loss, a number expected to rise with an aging population. Without more audiologists, the current wait—up to 18 months in some areas—will only worsen, according to director Lotte Grostøl.

Enrollment has been low for years, hitting a low of 20 new students in both 2024 and 2025. The program, based in Odense, is the country’s sole provider of audiologist training.

Tine Schou, director of Audika Denmark, which operates over 70 clinics nationwide, calls the shortage “a very, very big problem.” She notes that more than 27,000 people are currently on public waiting lists, with recruitment particularly difficult in regions far from Odense.

Student Tore Guldmann Amelung, currently in the program, says job security is high but emphasizes the need for more colleagues to support research and development in the field.

Grostøl urges better promotion of the profession and a guarantee of practical training placements, stating that both public and private clinics must take responsibility for providing them.