How common are eye problems in Australia?
In Australia, it is estimated that 51 per cent of the population overall has at least one eye problem. This figure rises to 87 per cent of people aged over 45 years.2 Uncorrected refractive error (URE) is the most common cause of vision impairment in Australia. Refractive errors are optical defects that result in light not being properly focussed on the eye’s retina. The most common are hypermetropia (long sightedness), myopia (short sightedness) astigmatism uneven focus) and presbyopia (an age related problem with near focus).
