How does your Eyesight Compare to the Rest of the World?

Many people take their eyesight for granted; with some simply accepting it as hereditary, or a result of old age. However, did you know that the quality of your eyesight can be affected by a number of factors, ranging from your gender to which country you live in?

Our new infographic looks at the many different trends around the world when it comes to eyesight optical health and user habits, and throws up some very interesting findings.

For example, although 64% of people in the USA wear glasses or contact lenses, there is not an even split between genders or ethnic groups, with women being more likely to suffer from sight problems than men. In addition, although roughly a quarter of all Americans are short-sighted, this proportion is much lower among African-Americans, where the ratio is just 15%.

Across the pond, eyecare is clearly a major priority in the UK, with a huge 96% of people over the age of 50 wearing glasses. This indicates that a significant proportion of the population have consulted eyecare professionals about their optical health, and yet the truth is that many people can not tell if their optometrist is qualified, with just half of respondents knowing how to check.

A more worrying finding was that 9% of people who require glasses do not wear them while driving, potentially placing themselves and other road users at risk. While some may cite forgetting their glasses as a reason, many are curbing the issue by turning to contact lenses, with 13% of the UK population now using the products to correct their vision.

In the East, eye problems appear to be increasing, with nearsightedness tripling in Singapore since the 1970s, and now five times more common in the country than in the West. It appears to affect all aspects of the population, as well, with 80% of Singapore's army suffering from at least one eyesight problem.

Though the figures are alarming, many of the factors responsible for poor vision in Singapore - and, indeed, in many areas of the world - can be controlled, namely by spending more time outdoors and less time in front of text on pages and screens.

On a wider scale, it is clear that much work still needs to be done to improve eye health in certain corners of the world, with the infographic revealing that 90% of the 285 million people who are classed as visually impaired live in low-income countries.

Encouragingly, however, a massive 80% of global sight problems could be cured through the provision of the right contact lenses or glasses, helping tens of millions of people to see the world from a clearer perspective.

To find out more amazing facts about the world's eye health and how you could help to boost your long-term vision, check out our new infographic.