Magnitude and Projections

Globally, 1.1 billion people live with vision loss.

Almost everyone will need access to eyecare services during their lifetime

Distance vision

Almost 600 million people can’t see well in the distance

43 million people are blind
295 million people experience moderate to severe vision impairment
258 million people experience mild vision impairment.

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Near vision

510 million people can’t see well at near

Everyone will lose their ability to focus on near objects as they age. This can be easily treated with a pair of reading glasses.

Children and adolescents

91 million children and adolescents live with vision loss

Of these:

2 million are blind
30 million experience moderate to severe vision impairment
58 million experience mild vision impairment

Projections

1.1 billion to 1.7 billion people by 2050

All categories of vision loss are set to grow:

In many regions, the scale and approach of existing service delivery are insufficient to meet current population needs, let alone the projected increases in vision loss by 2050.

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Maintaining healthy vision

Billions more people require ongoing access to eye care services

Almost everyone will need access to eyecare services during their lifetime. 2-3 billion people need on-going access to services to optimise their vision and ability to function in society.

At least 1.4 billion people with myopia
1 billion people have corrected presbyopia
146 million people have diabetic retinopathy
76 million people have early stage glaucoma.

Key definitions

Vision loss is habitual blurred vision (vision impairment) at distance or near. There are four categories of vision loss: blindness, moderate to severe, mild, and near. Vision loss may be permanent or it may be treatable, for example with glasses or surgery.

Select this link for more information and definitions used in the Vision Atlas.

How to cite the maps and VLEG/GBD 2020 data

If distributing/publishing this model’s data, it is obligatory to use the following reference:
(Select this link to access the full text)

Bourne R, Steinmetz J, Flaxman S, et al., Trends in prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment over 30 years: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet Glob Health. 2020. Accessed via the IAPB Vision Atlas (https://www.iapb.org/learn/vision-atlas)

Inequality in Vision Loss