Fact · Accessibility and health
17.9million adults
An estimated 17.9 million U.S. adults, 7.6% of those aged 18 or older, report having had a problem with their voice in the past 12 months.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“An estimated 17.9 million U.S. adults ages 18 or older, or 7.6%, report having had a problem with their voice in the past 12 months.”
Quick Statistics About Voice, Speech, Language, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), NIH, 2025, Voice.
Open the original- What it measures
- The same page reports that about 9.4 million adults (4.0%) had a voice problem lasting a week or longer in the past 12 months. Voice health matters for people who replace typing with long dictation sessions.
- What it does not show
- Self-reported in a national survey, any voice problem of any cause. It says nothing about dictation software use.