What Percent of the Population Wears Glasses?

Gregoria Gregoriou Crowe fine art and creative photography./Moment/Getty Images

In the United States, approximately 64 percent of adults and 20 percent of children wear eyeglasses, as of 2014. An additional 11 percent of adults and 5 percent of children wear contact lenses, either exclusively or with glasses.

More than 50 percent of all women wear glasses and 18 percent wear contact lenses. Among men, 42 percent wear glasses and another 14 percent wear contacts. Those people who wear both forms of corrective lenses wear contact lenses more often. Two percent of children wear protective eyewear.

About 30 percent of the U.S. population is nearsighted, and 60 percent is farsighted. Bifocals are worn by people who are both nearsighted and farsighted.

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