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The aim of this paper is to describe the provision of hearing aid services in Denmark, Finland and the United Kingdom (UK). A cross-sectional survey of adult hearing aid centres in Denmark, Finland and the UK was undertaken. Information requested included annual expenditure, staff levels, types of hearing aids provided, and patient characteristics. Data for the calendar year 2000 was requested in Denmark and Finland and for the financial year 2000/1 in the UK. Costs were converted into euros (€), at the following rates: 1€ = £0.62 = 7.45 Danish Krone = 5.95 Finnish Markka. The population covered by responding centres was equivalent to 80% in Denmark, 90% in Finland and 78% in the UK. Denmark spent the most per capita (€7.31), spent €670 per person fitted and provided the most aids (10.9 per thousand people). Finland spent €2.48 per capita, spent the most per person fitted (€924), but provided the fewest aids (2.7 per thousand people). The UK spent the least per capita (€1.76), spent €296 per person fitted and provided 6.0 aids per thousand people. The price of similar types of hearing aids differed across countries and was at least 10% lower for all aid types in the UK. Between countries, there were variations in the proportion of people who received bilateral (Denmark 68%, Finland 5%, UK 18%), in the ear (Denmark 43%, Finland 25%, UK 7%) and digital signal processing (Denmark 52%, Finland 17%, UK 1%) hearing aids. We conclude that there are major differences in hearing aid services provided in Denmark, Finland and the UK. These international differences arise from both differences in expenditure levels and different choices made about the number and types of aids provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]