Answers to the question, "How common is hearing loss?" might vary considerably depending on how the data have been obtained. It has long been recognised that an individual's perception of his/her hearing status (self-report data) may not be in accord with the results determined by audiometric measurements. Self-reported data typically under-estimate the prevalence of hearing loss in a population and accordingly there has been a tendency to be somewhat dismissive of them. The mismatch between the data sources does not imply inaccuracy in either set of information, rather the data tell us different things. Audiometric results establish impairment levels, whereas self-report data tell us what people complain of, that is, their disabilities. Two recent epidemiological studies have provided information about the prevalence of hearing loss in Australian adults. This paper will give a brief overview of the prevalence rates for both measured and self-reported hearing loss in two studies: The South Australian Adult Hearing Study (Wilson, D, Walsh, P., Sanchez, L. and Read, P. Hearing in adults. Report of the South Australian Department of Human Services, 1998), in which participants spanned adulthood, and The Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Centre for Ageing Studies, SA: Flinders University Press, 1992) which examined a large group of older people aged 70-103 years. The relationship between the self-reported and measured results at different ages will be presented. Suggestions for public health policies will be made, justified by the prevalence rates, with the intended outcome of enhancing hearing health services and preventing impairment.