Updated February 2025
In this section you will find statistical information specific to adults. The estimates presented on this page come from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
This section will be added to and updated annually, so please check back as needed for the most recent information.
Definition and scope: The term vision loss refers to individuals who reported that they have “a little trouble” or “a lot of trouble” seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, as well as to individuals who reported that they are blind or unable to see at all. This estimate pertains to a nationally representative sample of the non-institutionalized civilian population 18 years of age and over.
Data source: IPUMS NHIS database: Blewett, L. A., Rivera Drew, J. A., King, M. L., Williams, K. C. W., Del Ponte, N., & Convey, P. (2023). IPUMS Health Surveys: National Health Interview Survey (Version 7.3) [Data set]. IPUMS. https://doi.org/10.18128/D070.V7.3
Read our brief resource guide to NHIS data.
Demographics
Number of American Adults with Vision Loss
According to estimates from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey, 51.9 million American Adults age 18 and older reported experiencing some amount of difficulty seeing. Of these, 3.7 million adults have a lot of trouble seeing, even when wearing glasses, and 307,000 cannot see at all. The remaining 47.9 million adults report having a little trouble seeing, even when wearing glasses.
Sex of American Adults 18 Years of Age and Older with Vision Loss
According to estimates from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey, 51.9 million Adult Americans 18 and older reported experiencing vision loss. Of these 51.9 million American adults, 29.5 million (57%) are female and 22.4 million (43%) are male.
Age of American Adults with Vision Loss
According to estimates from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey, 35.1 million American adults between the ages of 18 and 64 and 13.4 million American adults 65 years and older have vision loss.
Race and Ethnicity of American Adults with Vision Loss
According to estimates from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey, Americans with vision loss identify with the following racial identities: approximately 37.8 million (73%) are white, 6.4 million (12%) are Black or African American, 2.1 million (4%) are Asian, and 640,000 (1%) are American Indian or Alaska Native. An estimated 1.2 million Americans with vision loss (2%) identify as multiple or other races.
Lifestyle
Marital Status of American Adults with Vision Loss
Approximately 23.1 million American adults who have vision loss (44%) are married, 3.9 million (8%) are widowed, 5.8 million (11%) are divorced or separated, 9.7 million (19%) have never married, and 4.1 million (8%) live with a partner.
NHIS All health cause limitation in work
While an estimated 31.6 million Americans with vision loss do not have a perceived limitation in their work, a further 17 million do report a health related limitation in the work they can perform. Those who have “a little trouble seeing” account for 29% of people with a work limitation but only 14.5% of the general NHIS population, showing how even a mild vision loss can relate to substantial limitations.
Place of Residence of American Adults with Vision Loss
Approximately 7.7 million people with vision loss (14%) live in the Northeast, 10.9 million (21%) live in the North Central/Midwest, 20.9 million (40%) live in the South, and 12.4 million (24%) live in the West.
