Fact · Accessibility and health
2.2 billionpeople
Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment, and in at least 1 billion of these cases it could have been prevented or has not yet been addressed.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. In at least 1 billion - or almost half - of these cases, vision impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.”
Blindness and vision impairment (fact sheet), World Health Organization, 2026, Prevalence.
Open the original- What it measures
- The same WHO fact sheet notes that most people with vision impairment and blindness are over the age of 50. Blind and low vision users rely on screen readers, and speech input avoids hunting for small keys on a touchscreen.
- What it does not show
- Includes near vision impairment such as uncorrected presbyopia, much of which glasses can fix. It is not a count of blind people or of people who cannot read a screen.