Eye health statistics show a large and uneven global burden. In 2020, modeled estimates counted 43.28 million blind people, 295.09 million people with moderate or severe vision impairment (MSVI), and 257.83 million with mild vision impairment worldwide.
Key Eye Health Statistics
The following figures summarize the most broadly useful eye health data:
- In 2020, 43.28 million people were blind globally, based on presenting visual acuity worse than 3/60 in the better eye.
- In 2020, 295.09 million people had moderate or severe vision impairment globally, defined as presenting acuity worse than 6/18 to 3/60 in the better eye.
- In 2020, 257.83 million people had mild vision impairment globally, defined as presenting acuity worse than 6/12 to 6/18 in the better eye.
- In 2020, 509.69 million people had near vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia globally.
- In 2020, women accounted for 55% of global blindness, equal to 23.88 million people.
- In 2020, people aged 50 and older accounted for 77.7% of global blindness, equal to 33.61 million people.
- In 2020, low- and middle-income countries contained 91.75% of people who were blind globally, or an estimated 39.62 million people.
- In 2020, cataract caused 17.01 million cases of global blindness.
- In 2020, uncorrected refractive error caused 157.49 million cases of global MSVI.
- In 2020, 1.44 million children aged 0–14 years were blind globally.
- In 2020, South Asia and Western sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 45.6% of blind children globally.
- From 1990 to 2019, age-standardized global blindness prevalence fell by approximately 28.5%.
- By 2050, global blindness is forecast to reach 61.05 million people.
- By 2050, vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia is forecast to reach 865.67 million people globally.
- In 2020, 90.9% of the combined blindness and MSVI burden was classified as avoidable when near vision impairment was included.
- In 2023, unaddressed vision impairment was associated with estimated annual global productivity losses of US$410.7 billion.
- In 2023, about 3.5 million eye injuries occurred in workplaces each year globally.
- During 2010–2014, 13.6% of U.S. adults aged 65 years or older reported vision impairment.
Contents
- Global eye health statistics: vision impairment and blindness scale
- Eye health data by age, sex and geography
- Leading causes of blindness and vision impairment
- Child eye health statistics and trends
- Eye health trends, forecasts and avoidable burden
- Work, chronic disease and economic eye health data
Global Eye Health Statistics: Vision Impairment and Blindness Scale
The Lancet Global Health Commission’s 2020 VLEG-GBD modeled estimates use presenting visual acuity and distinguish blindness, MSVI, mild impairment and near-vision impairment. These categories are not interchangeable totals, and the estimates generally exclude people whose distance refractive error or presbyopia was already corrected.
| Measure | Global estimate | Definition or scope |
|---|---|---|
| Blindness | 43.28 million | Worse than 3/60 in the better eye; 95% UI 37.57–48.36 million |
| MSVI | 295.09 million | Worse than 6/18 to 3/60; 95% UI 267.32–324.60 million |
| Mild impairment | 257.83 million | Worse than 6/12 to 6/18; 95% UI 232.66–285.34 million |
| Uncorrected presbyopia | 509.69 million | Near-vision impairment; 95% UI 371.11–666.66 million |
Source: The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020.
The corresponding crude all-age prevalence in 2020 was 0.55% for blindness, 3.74% for MSVI, and 3.27% for mild vision impairment. Uncorrected presbyopia affected 22.06% of people aged 50 years and older, while distance vision impairment totaled about 596 million people in the Commission summary.
WHO reported that the world had about 2.2 billion people with near or distance vision impairment, with at least 1 billion cases involving a preventable or unaddressed condition. Its 2023 brief estimated annual productivity losses of US$410.7 billion associated with unaddressed impairment and estimated the annual cost of addressing unmet eye-care needs at US$24.8 billion.
Source: Increasing eye care interventions to address vision impairment.
Eye Health Data by Age, Sex and Geography
The 2020 global estimates show that burden is concentrated among older adults, women and low- and middle-income countries. The percentages below describe shares of the relevant global impairment group, not prevalence within each demographic group.
- Women accounted for 23.88 million, or 55%, of people who were blind globally; the 95% UI for the count was 20.83–26.82 million.
- Women represented 162.97 million, or 55%, of global MSVI cases, with a 95% UI of 147.43–179.21 million.
- Women represented 142.29 million, or 55%, of global mild vision-impairment cases, with a 95% UI of 128.45–157.36 million.
- People aged 50 years and older accounted for 33.61 million, or 77.7%, of global blindness; the 95% UI was 28.58–38.54 million.
- Low- and middle-income countries contained 91.75% of global blindness, an estimated 39.62 million people, with a 95% UI of 34.64–44.79 million.
- Low- and middle-income countries contained 87.68% of global MSVI, an estimated 257.90 million people, with a 95% UI of 231.87–285.81 million.
Regional comparisons also require care because counts reflect population size, while age-standardized prevalence supports comparisons that adjust for age structure.
| Region | 2020 statistic | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Western sub-Saharan Africa | 1.11% | Highest age-standardized blindness prevalence; 95% UI 0.95%–1.26% |
| High-income North America | 0.12% | Lowest age-standardized blindness prevalence; 95% UI 0.11%–0.14% |
| South Asia | 6.44% | Highest age-standardized overall MSVI prevalence; 95% UI 5.79%–7.13% |
| South Asia | About 11.9 million | Blind people; 95% UI 10.4–13.4 million |
| East Asia | About 9.1 million | Blind people; 95% UI 7.9–10.3 million |
| Southeast Asia | About 5.9 million | Blind people; 95% UI 5.2–6.7 million |
Source: The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020. South Asia’s large count reflects its population as well as its prevalence.
Leading Causes of Blindness and Vision Impairment
Cause-specific estimates assign a primary cause even though one person can have more than one eye condition. In 2020, cataract was the largest listed cause of global blindness, while uncorrected refractive error was the largest listed cause of global MSVI.
| Primary cause | Blindness cases, 2020 | MSVI cases, 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Cataract | 17.01 million | 83.48 million |
| Uncorrected refractive error | 3.70 million | 157.49 million |
| Glaucoma | 3.61 million | 4.14 million |
| Age-related macular degeneration | 1.85 million | 6.23 million |
| Diabetic retinopathy | 1.07 million | 3.28 million |
Source: The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020. The 95% uncertainty intervals vary by cause and are retained in the Commission estimates.
Other conditions beyond the five leading causes accounted for 16.04 million people, or 37% of global blindness, in 2020. Among adults aged 50 years and older, cataract accounted for 45.5% of age-standardized blindness prevalence and glaucoma for 11.0%; for age-standardized MSVI prevalence, undercorrected refractive error accounted for 41.0% and cataract for 38.9%.
Child Eye Health Statistics and Trends
Child estimates cover different age ranges and methods, so the historical figures should not be read as a direct time series. The 2020 VLEG-GBD estimates included uncorrected refractive error, while older WHO estimates used different definitions.
- In 2020, an estimated 1.44 million children aged 0–14 years were blind globally; child population-based data were comparatively scarce.
- In 2020, an estimated 22.16 million children aged 0–14 years had MSVI globally.
- In 2020, an estimated 46.60 million children aged 0–14 years had mild vision impairment globally.
- In 2020, estimated childhood blindness prevalence was 4.8 per 10,000 children globally, using an approach based on under-5 mortality rather than a direct census of all children.
- South Asia and Western sub-Saharan Africa together accounted for 45.6% of blind children globally in 2020.
WHO’s 1990 estimate placed global childhood blindness at 1.5 million children aged 0–15 years, excluding refractive-error blindness. Its 2015 re-estimate was 1.14 million children, but both age coverage and methods differ from the 2020 estimate.
Source: The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020.
Eye Health Trends, Forecasts and Avoidable Burden
Age-standardized global blindness prevalence fell by approximately 28.5% over the 30 years to 2019. This is a modeled prevalence trend and does not mean that the absolute number of blind people fell, because population growth and aging affect case counts.
| Measure | 2020 estimate | 2050 forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Blindness | 43.28 million | 61.05 million; 95% UI 52.85–69.27 million |
| MSVI | 295.09 million | 474.12 million; 95% UI 428.43–518.23 million |
| Mild impairment | 257.83 million | 360.35 million; 95% UI 321.96–399.96 million |
| Uncorrected presbyopia | 509.69 million | 865.67 million; 95% UI 628.79 million–1.15414 billion |
Source: The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020. Forecasts depend on demographic and trend assumptions.
Avoidability depends on the definition used. Cataract or uncorrected refractive error accounted for 77.3% of people with blindness and MSVI in 2020 under a two-condition definition; including near vision impairment raised the classified avoidable share to 90.9%.
Work, Chronic Disease and Economic Eye Health Data
Eye health also has measured associations with employment, workplace injury and chronic conditions, but these statistics use different populations and designs. WHO’s 2023 report estimated that about 13 million people lived with vision impairment linked to work globally and that about 3.5 million workplace eye injuries occurred annually.
Workplace eye injuries represented about 1% of all non-fatal occupational injuries in the report. Workers with vision impairment were 30% less likely to be employed than workers without vision impairment, an association reported by the ILO/IAPB analysis rather than a randomized causal effect.
Source: ILO/IAPB Eye health and the world of work.
In a U.S. National Health Interview Survey of adults aged 65 years or older during 2010–2014, 13.6% reported vision impairment. The CDC results are self-reported survey measures, not measured-acuity estimates or global prevalence.
| Chronic condition among U.S. adults 65+ | Adjusted odds with vision impairment | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Hypertension | 1.4 | 1.3–1.6 |
| Heart disease | 1.6 | 1.5–1.8 |
| Stroke | 2.0 | 1.7–2.3 |
| Weak or failing kidneys | 2.3 | 2.0–2.7 |
| Diabetes | 1.6 | 1.4–1.7 |
| Hearing impairment | 1.9 | 1.7–2.1 |
Source: Vision Impairment and Chronic Health Conditions. These are adjusted cross-sectional associations, not causal effects; adjustments included age, sex, race, education, BMI, smoking and physical activity.