Magnitude of sight loss

Discover how sight loss affects over a billion people worldwide—and why the number is still rising. Best viewed on desktop — scroll slowly to explore the full data story.

Share on LinkedIn Back to top

Bourne, R., Steinmetz, J. D., Flaxman, S., Briant, P. S., Taylor, H. R., Resnikoff, S., … & Tareque, M. I. (2021). Trends in prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment over 30 years: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. The Lancet global health, 9(2), e130-e143.

Bourne, Rupert RA, et al. “Causes of vision loss worldwide, 1990–2010: a systematic analysis.” The Lancet Global Health 1.6 (2013): e339-e349.

Burton et al., “Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: Vision Beyond 2020,” The Lancet Global Health, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. e489–e551, 2021.

Reddy PA, Congdon N, MacKenzie G, et al. Effect of providing near glasses on productivity among rural Indian tea workers with presbyopia (PROSPER): a randomised trial. Lancet Glob Health 2018; 6(9): e1019-e27.

Magrabi Foundation

Explore topics

Tracking 2030 In Sight Progress (2025 Report)
Interactive data story

Tracking 2030 In Sight Progress (2025 Report)

Progress against the 2030 In Sight Strategy — 2025 update.
Effective coverage of refractive error care
Interactive data story

Effective coverage of refractive error care

A simple pair of spectacles can transform lives for hundreds of millions — yet glasses remain out of reach for far too many.
Causes of sight loss
Interactive data story

Causes of sight loss

The leading causes of sight loss are simple to treat—discover the conditions driving the global burden of sight loss.

Featured news

Modelling Cataract Mortality in Kenya: A New Tool for Eye Health Planning    

Simulation model estimates that 77% of individuals on Kenya’s cataract backlog in 2025 will die before receiving surgery at current surgical capacity, with the model designed to be adaptable for use in other countries.
Written by
Ayesha Siddiqui

Effective Cataract Surgical Coverage trends highlight gaps in cataract services towards 2030 targets   

Global eCSC stands at just 48.2% in 2025, with progress too slow to meet the 2030 target.
Written by
Ayesha Siddiqui

View sight loss data by countries

Explore and understand how sight loss affects different parts of the world and the impact that it has.
View by country
Two young boys wearing decorated heart-shaped glasses laughing and hugging during an eye health event.