The eyewear industry over the last ten to fifteen years has become one of the most profitable industries in the world. This of course has to do with an increase in vision impairment throughout the world. There are a lot of factors that go into vision impairment and vision correction. Let’s take a look at some of the key statistics and facts you need to know about the eyewear industry.
We’re going to dive pretty deep into six key statistics. These are some of the most important facts that you really should know about the eyewear industry, especially if you are someone with some sort of vision impairment, and regularly buy glasses or contact lenses. But besides these key facts, there are many more important general eyewear industry statistics and facts, fashion-related eyewear industry statistics and facts, and worldwide eyewear industry statistics and facts you can check out.
Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have near or distant vision impairment.
This basically means that more than twenty-five percent of people in the world have some sort of refractive error– they are either nearsighted or farsighted. Nearsightedness is a vision condition when objects are clear and objects farther away look blurry. This happens when the shape of the eye causes light rays to refract inaccurately. Farsightedness is a refractive error that makes objects that are near look blurry. This happens when the shape of the eye makes light focus behind the retina, instead of on it.
In at least half of these cases, vision impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.
These 1 billion people include people with vision impairments due to unaddressed refractive error (88.4 million), cataracts (94 million), age-related macular degeneration (8 million), glaucoma (7.7 million), and diabetic retinopathy (3.9 million). It’s pretty crazy how much damage simply putting off a visit to your optometrist can cause. Optometrists can detect eye diseases in their earlier stages and start the treatment early, so the disease doesn’t cause too much vision impairment, if any. This is why it’s crucial that you visit your optometrist every year, or at least every two years.
At least 4 billion people across the globe wear glasses.
Half of the world wears glasses! This statistic doesn’t just apply to people with refractive errors, people buy eyeglasses for many reasons. Glasses can come without a prescription but with protective coatings and treatments. A lot of people nowadays buy blue light glasses, which protect your eyes from the blue light from technology. You can also get glasses with UV protection, anti-reflective, anti-glare, and anti-scratch coatings. Besides this, a lot of people simply buy non-prescription glasses for their style. The future outlook for the eyeglasses market is one of continued growth, as a result of multiple factors including expanding populations, shifting demographics towards older age groups, and evolving lifestyles marked by greater reliance on digital screens.
Approximately 64% of adults use some form of vision correction, including eyeglasses, contact lenses, and/or vision correction surgery.
Eyeglasses tend to be the most common form of vision correction. Contact lenses are also a popular vision correction method, however, they’re not as common as prescription eyeglasses. Vision correction surgery, such as LASIK, is a less common option. Looking at the 64% statistic is pretty scary. Basically, most adults have some sort of vision impairment. This again reaffirms the importance of visiting your optometrist, to be able to treat any developing eye diseases in their earlier stages and be able to maximally prevent vision impairment.
Most people start needing glasses sometime between the ages of 18 and 21.
Changes in prescription or just necessity for any type of eyeglasses can be influenced by many factors, including genetics, surroundings, and daily behaviors. Vision problems can also be caused by underlying health conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
In 2021, the United States was the leading eyewear market across the globe.
Nearly 70 percent of Americans aged 18 and over need some form of vision correction. This shows the widespread need for vision correction in the US. The American way of life has a lot to do with this statistic, which increased screen time as a huge factor. Other factors may like aging populations, and genetic predisposition to vision problems may contribute to this high prevalence.
And there you have it! These were six of the most important facts and statistics about the eyewear industry. There really is so much to know about this incredible industry. Hopefully, the main lesson learned is that visiting your optometrist regularly is incredibly important for your eye health. You can even go and book your next appointment now!
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