Key information and statistics on sight loss in the UK
How does the registered population relate to the number of people with sight loss?
The "more than two million people living with sight loss" is an estimate based on how commonly different eye conditions and resulting sight loss occurs. The figure takes into account factors such as age, gender and ethnicity, and builds up a picture of the numbers of people who are living with significant sight loss in the UK.
This picture not only includes people who are registered, but also those who are waiting for treatment, those whose sight could be improved, those who have not registered, and people whose sight loss is not at a level that allows them to register. Find out more about the estimates in our report.
(source: Economic impact report)
Who holds the register of blind and partially sighted people and what is the break down between the different groups?
Each local authority holds their own register of blind and partially sighted people. RNIB does not hold this register and we obtain information from publicly available data. The local authority registers include people who are registered as severely sight impaired (blind) and sight impaired (partially sighted). As of 2017, there are around 350,000 people on the registers of blind and partially sighted people in the UK. A total of 173,735 are registered severely sight impaired and 176,125 are registered sight impaired.
This is approximately 290,500 in England; 17,000 in Wales; 8000 in Northern Ireland and 34,500 in Scotland (Scottish figures were last published in 2010). Visit the Sight Loss Data Tool for more local data and information on sources that publish the register data.
(source: Sight Loss Data Tool)
How will the number of people with sight loss change in the future?
The number of people in the UK with sight loss is set to increase dramatically in the future. As we get older we are increasingly likely to experience sight loss, and the UK population is ageing. In addition, sight loss is strongly linked with certain medical conditions such as diabetes and lifestyle factors including obesity - the rates of which are both going up. This means that, without action, the numbers of people with sight problems in the UK are likely to increase dramatically over the next 25 years.
The number of people with sight loss is estimated to rise to 2.7 million by 2030. By 2050, the current figure will double to over four million. For more information on the number of people living with sight loss and costs of sight loss please see our economic impact of sight loss and blindness in the UK report.
(source: Economic impact report)
What are the main causes of blindness in adults?
Age-related macular degeneration is by far the leading cause of blindness in adults. Other significant causes of sight loss are glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.
(source: Economic impact report)
Who has sight loss?
Sight loss affects people of all ages, but as we get older we are increasingly likely to experience sight loss. One in five people aged 75 and over are living with sight loss; one in two people aged 90 and over are living with sight loss.
(source: Economic impact report)
Nearly two-thirds of people living with sight loss are women. People from black and minority ethnic communities are at greater risk of some of the leading causes of sight loss. Adults with learning disabilities are 10 times more likely to be blind or partially sighted than the general population.
(source: see Eye health and sight loss stats and facts)
Realities of sight loss
- Only 17 per cent of people experiencing sight loss are offered emotional support in response to their deteriorating vision.
- Only 27 per cent of blind and partially sighted people of working age are in employment – a fall from 33 per cent in employment in 2006.
- 39 per cent of blind and partially sighted people of working age say they have some or great difficulty in making ends meet.
- 35 per cent of blind and partially sighted people say that they sometimes, frequently or always experience negative attitudes from the public in relation to their sight loss.
- 31 per cent of people are rarely or never optimistic about the future.
(source: My Voice 2015)
Information last updated: 1 September 2019
