Contact lenses

Chronicle

2024: Global contact lens sales hit $16.7 billion for the year

At the end of 2024, the global contact lens market amounted to $16.7 billion. More than 45% of global sales were in the North American region. Such data are contained in a study by Market.Us, the results of which Zdrav.Expert reviewed at the end of June 2025.

One driver of the industry is the increasing prevalence of presbyopia and myopia among children and adults. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), published in 2023, at least 2.2 billion people suffer from near or far vision disorders worldwide. At least 1 billion of them, violations could have been prevented or can still be corrected. The main diseases causing long-range vision disorders and blindness among these people are cataracts ( 94 million), refractive abnormality (88.4 million), age-related macular degeneration (8 million), glaucoma (7.7 million) and diabetic retinopathy (3.9 million). Deterioration of near vision is most often associated with presbyopia - 826 million people. One of the most common ways to correct vision is by using contact lenses.

The market growth is driven by the availability of advanced products such as one-day disposable lenses, toric lenses to correct astigmatism and products aimed at people with presbyopia, the study said. The increase in sales of contact lenses is also facilitated by a change in people's lifestyles: many consumers choose such products instead of traditional glasses due to higher levels of comfort when playing sports or simply because of the desire for aesthetics.

The emergence of a new type of product has a positive impact on the industry. Among them, the authors of the study name prolonged wearing lenses, colored contact lenses and products with additional therapeutic properties. Developers are introducing new materials that increase comfort in everyday use, provide oxygen permeability and UV protection.

In 2024, silicone hydrogel lenses took the lion's share of the market, providing 73.2% in total sales. Such products allow the eyes to obtain almost as much oxygen as without lenses. In the production of modern silicone-hydrogel products, the latest technologies and polymers are used, which ensures comfortable wearing. In addition, hybrid contact lenses are in demand, combining the advantages of rigid gas-permeable and soft lenses. The center of such articles is made of solid material, and the periphery is made of soft. This design provides clear vision with a high level of comfort. Lenses for daily wearing in 2024 occupied 47.5% of the market.

Geographically, North America holds the lead, accounting for 45.5% of sales in monetary terms, or approximately $7.5 billion. This dominance is due to a combination of a number of factors, including high consumer awareness of vision correction tools and an advanced healthcare infrastructure. Globally, significant players are named:

• Alcon;
• Cooper Companies;
• Contamac;
• Hoya;
• Seed;
• EssilorLuxottica;
• Menicon;
• Euclid Vision Group;
• SynergEyes;
• Staar Surgical;
• Bausch + Lomb.

Market.Us analysts believe that in the future, the CAGR in the market under consideration will be 5.4%. In 2025, sales are expected at $17.6 billion, and by 2034, costs may increase to $28.3 billion.^[1]

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