Aim Otolaryngologists occasionally observe foreign bodies (FB) in the external auditory canal (EAC), although relatively few studies have focused on the role of age in this condition. Methods We retrospectively compared the incidences, outcomes and complications of FB in the EAC in different age groups. Results The patients at our center included 24 children (19%), 46 adults (37%) and 56 older adults (44%). Compared with adults, older adults were significantly more likely to have FB (peak age 75–79 years), be women (18/46 vs 34/56, P = 0.0461) and be unaware of their FB (18/46 vs 34/56, P = 0.0461). We observed that all EAC FB were more common during the summer, and biotic FB were not observed during the winter. Complications were more common in cases of biotic FB, compared with abiotic FB (5/27 vs 6/99, P = 0.0421). Conclusion Our findings show that older adults are particularly susceptible to FB, are frequently unaware of their FB and can develop complications. These characteristics should be considered before treating FB in the EAC. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; ••: ••–••.