Statistics and Data
Prevalence of Blindness Data
Data Tables
Summary of Eye Disease Prevalence Data
Prevalence of Cataract, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, and Open-Angle Glaucoma Among Adults 40 Years and Older in the United States*
| Age, | Cataract | Advanced AMD | Intermediate AMD | Glaucoma | ||||
| Years | Persons | (%) | Persons | (%) | Persons | (%) | Persons | (%) |
| 40-49 | 1,046,000 | 2.5% | 20,000 | 0.1% | 851,000 | 2.0% | 290,000 | 0.7% |
| 50-59 | 2,123,000 | 6.8% | 113,000 | 0.4% | 1,053,000 | 3.4% | 318,000 | 1.0% |
| 60-69 | 4,061,000 | 20.0% | 147,000 | 0.7% | 1,294,000 | 6.4% | 369,000 | 1.8% |
| 70-79 | 6,973,000 | 42.8% | 388,000 | 2.4% | 1,949,000 | 12.0% | 530,000 | 3.9% |
| >80 | 6,272,000 | 68.3% | 1,081,000 | 11.8% | 2,164,000 | 23.6% | 711,000 | 7.7% |
| Total | 20,475,000 | 17.2% | 1,749,000 | 1.5% | 7,311,000 | 6.1% | 2,218,000 | 1.9% |
Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy Among Adults*
| Age, | Type 1 Diabetes | All Diabetes — 40 Years and Older |
||
| Years | Persons | (%) | Persons | (%) |
| 18-39 | 278,000 | 0.3% | NA | NA |
| 40-49 | 172,000 | 0.4% | 589,000 | 1.4% |
| 50-64 | 317,000 | 0.4% | 1,582,000 | 3.8% |
| 65-74 | 1,068,000 | 5.8% | ||
| >75 | 824,000 | 5.0% | ||
| Total | 767,000 | 0.4% | 4,063,000 | 3.4% |
Prevalence of Blindness and Low Vision Among Adults 40 Years and Older in the United States*
| Age, | Blindness** | Low Vision** | All Vision Impaired | |||
| Years | Persons | (%) | Persons | (%) | Persons | (%) |
| 40-49 | 51,000 | 0.1% | 80,000 | 0.2% | 131,000 | 0.3% |
| 50-59 | 45,000 | 0.1% | 102,000 | 0.3% | 147,000 | 0.4% |
| 60-69 | 59,000 | 0.3% | 176,000 | 0.9% | 235,000 | 1.2% |
| 70-79 | 134,000 | 0.8% | 471,000 | 3.0% | 605,000 | 3.8% |
| >80 | 648,000 | 7.0% | 1,532,000 | 16.7% | 2,180,000 | 23.7% |
| Total | 937,000 | 0.8% | 2,361,000 | 2.0% | 3,298,000 | 2.7% |
Estimated Prevalence of Myopia and Hyperopia
| Age, | Myopia (Nearsightedness) | Hyperopia (Farsightedness) | ||
| Years | Persons | (%) | Persons | (%) |
| 40-49 | 15,460,000 | 36.4% | 1,534,000 | 3.1% |
| 50-59 | 7,355,000 | 23.3% | 2,325,000 | 7.7% |
| 60-69 | 3,459,000 | 17.0% | 2,538,000 | 13.2% |
| 70-79 | 2,481,000 | 15.2% | 3,112,000 | 19.3% |
| >80 | 1,603,000 | 17.5% | 2,168,000 | 23.6% |
| Total | 30,358,000 | 25.4% | 11,677,000 | 9.9% |
* Archives of Ophthalmology, Volume 122, April 2004
** Blindness as defined by the U.S. definition is the best-corrected visual acuity of 6/60 or worse (=20/200) in the better-seeing eye; low vision is defined as the best-corrected visual acuity less than 6/12 (<20/40) in the better-seeing eye (excluding those who were categorized as being blind by the U.S. definition.)
