Frequently Asked Questions

The 2025 Vision Atlas builds on data from VLEG/GBD 2020 and now includes new sources to give a fuller global picture of eye health.

The 2025 Vision Atlas includes country-level data on causes of sight loss (where available), using national RAAB survey data and other recent studies.

We’ve added more economic analysis, showing how much productivity is lost each year from sight loss, how many school years are missed, and what return-on-investment eye health programmes can deliver.

The interactive maps and charts are now easier to use, with filters for region, type of sight loss, gender, and age group—making the data clearer and more useful.

We’ve introduced a new way to explore the data through short, engaging stories. These cover issues like global sight loss, gender differences, and children’s eye health, with more topics coming soon.

We’ve also added The Value of Vision: The case for investing in eye health, with evidence on how scaling proven eye health solutions boosts health and education outcomes, employment, and productivity—delivering exceptional value for money.

Absolutely! All data stories have easy share and download buttons on the site so you can use them in presentations, reports and websites. You’re free to reuse any of our charts provided you appropriately acknowledge the data source and the IAPB Vision Atlas.

Each chart includes a “How to cite” section for easy referencing.

Data for sight loss on the IAPB Vision Atlas comes from the modelled estimates by the Vision Loss Expert Group (VLEG) in 2020. The VLEG data incorporates data from 512 studies in 112 countries to estimate distance vision impairment in each country and region based on certain characteristics and demographics.

The latest effective coverage data is now available on our Global data and Country data pages. We’ll update these as soon as new data is released — be sure to check back often!

When comparing sight loss across countries, it’s important to choose the right measure. Here are the common options:

• Number affected: This tells you how many people in a country or region are living with sight loss. It’s useful for service planning and understanding overall need.
• Crude prevalence: This shows the percentage of the total population affected. It helps identify where rates of sight loss are high, but it doesn’t account for differences in population structure, such as age.
• Age-standardised prevalence: This adjusts for differences in age structures between countries. It shows what sight loss rates would be if each country had identical age structures. This is helpful when:
  • Comparing rates of sight loss between females and males, as we can see what the rates would be if there were equal men and women in each country/region.
  • Comparing countries with difference population age profiles.
  • Tracking changes over time, without being affected by shifts in population demographics.

90% of sight loss can be prevented or treated:

• 161 million people have uncorrected refractive errors that can be treated with spectacles or contact lenses.
• 100 million people have cataract that can be treated with surgery.
• 510 million people have near vision impairment due to uncorrected presbyopia that can be treated with spectacles.
• Total: 771 million people

10% of sight loss cannot be prevented or treated. There are 77 million people (10%) with vision loss from conditions that require ongoing management, treatment, low vision services or rehabilitation. Although some of these conditions may also be treatable or preventable, that are not classified as such because it is unclear how much vision loss could’ve been prevented or treated.

• 8 million people have sight loss due to age-related macular degeneration
• 8 million people have sight loss due to glaucoma
• 4 million people have sight loss due to diabetic retinopathy
• 57 million people have sight loss due to other causes.
• Total: 77 million people

Total vision loss = 848 million (771 million + 77 million).

Proportion preventable or treatable = 771 / 848 * 100 = 91.6%

Importantly, there are also 257 million people with mild vision loss. Mild vision impairment is not included in the preventable/treatable estimates due to limited data on its causes.

Core datasets for vision impairment and blindness are refreshed following updates from the World Health Organization, Vision Loss Expert Group, Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness, and other key research partners. Some regional and country-specific information may be updated more frequently as new data becomes available. Please sign up to get notifications for Vision Atlas updates.

We are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability.

Please note that chart content is not accessible with a screen reader, however general descriptions and direct CSV downloads that include currently displayed data are available for most charts. We are committed to ongoing improvements and welcome feedback to further strengthen accessibility.

Yes, the Vision Atlas welcomes contributions that highlight successful interventions, emerging trends, and impactful stories in eye health. If you have data stories, news items, or blog content related to vision care, eye health programs, or policy developments that could be featured in the Vision Atlas, please contact us.

For any questions, feedback, or inquiries regarding the Vision Atlas, please contact the IAPB Knowledge Management team.