Women vs. Men: Who Has More Vision Problems?

Read time: 8 minutes

Do women have more vision problems than men?

Overall, women carry a somewhat greater burden of vision loss but the answer depends on the condition. Women make up a larger share of people living with vision loss around the world, and recent U.S. data also show somewhat higher rates of measurable vision loss among women. But that does not mean women's eyes are simply more vulnerable.

Men have higher rates of certain conditions, including inherited color vision deficiency, keratoconus, and some forms of retinal detachment.

The real difference comes from a combination of biology, age, genetics, health conditions, environmental exposure, and access to eye care.

Overall Vision Loss Is More Common in Women

The newest U.S. estimates from the CDC's Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System provide a useful snapshot. For 2024, an estimated 9.84% of females had some form of presenting visual acuity loss, compared with 9.07% of males. Best-corrected vision loss - vision that could not be fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses - was also somewhat higher among females: 2.28% compared with 1.92% among males.

The CDC’s Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System breaks down 2024 vision-loss prevalence by sex, age, and other demographic factors. The same pattern exists globally.

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness estimates that women and girls account for about 55% of people living with vision loss worldwide. But why?

Part of the explanation is simple: women tend to live longer.Age is one of the strongest risk factors for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and many other eye conditions. Because women, on average, reach older ages more often than men, more women live long enough to develop age-related eye disease. Age does not explain everything, however. Biological differences and unequal access to eye care also contribute.

Dry Eye Is More Common in Women

One of the clearest differences involves dry eye disease. A large 2026 systematic review covering more than 15 million people found a pooled dry-eye prevalence of about 39% among females compared with 31% among males. Hormones appear to be one factor.

The tear film and the oil-producing meibomian glands are influenced by sex hormones. Hormonal changes associated with menopause may affect tear production and tear-film stability. Women are also more likely to develop several autoimmune diseases, and some of those conditions can contribute to dry eye.

Dry eye can cause:

• Burning or stinging
• Grittiness
• Fluctuating vision
• Redness
• Excessive watering
• Contact lens discomfort
• Sensitivity to light

So while anyone can develop dry eye, being female is a recognized risk factor.

What About Cataracts?

Cataracts become increasingly common with age as the natural lens inside the eye becomes cloudy. Women make up a large proportion of people affected by cataracts, partly because cataract risk rises strongly with age and women, on average, live longer.

Research has also found higher cataract prevalence among women in many populations. A recent U.S. analysis of vision loss found that age-adjusted vision loss associated with cataracts was higher among women than men. That does not mean being female alone causes cataracts.

Other important risk factors include:

• Increasing age
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Long-term ultraviolet exposure
• Certain medications, including prolonged corticosteroid use
• Previous eye injury
• Previous eye surgery

Sex is one piece of a much larger risk picture.

Glaucoma Is Slightly More Common in Women in U.S. Estimates

Glaucoma is often described as a silent eye disease because significant damage can develop before someone notices a change in vision. Current CDC estimates for 2022 found glaucoma in about 1.36% of females compared with 1.17% of males. Vision-affecting glaucoma was also slightly more prevalent among females.

Age is again important. Because glaucoma becomes more common later in life, longer life expectancy contributes to the larger number of women living with the disease. Other factors can matter much more than sex, including family history, race and ethnicity, eye pressure, corneal characteristics, age, and certain medical conditions.

Is Macular Degeneration More Common in Women?

This question is more complicated. Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, affects the macula which is the central part of the retina responsible for detailed vision. Some U.S. datasets show more AMD-related vision loss among women, but studies that adjust for age and other factors have produced mixed results.

The safest conclusion is that age, smoking, genetics, and overall health remain more useful predictors than sex alone when estimating an individual's AMD risk.

Men Have a Much Higher Risk of Color Vision Deficiency

This is one area where the difference is dramatic. Inherited red-green color vision deficiency is much more common in men because the genes responsible are usually located on the X chromosome.

Men have one X chromosome. Women typically have two. That means a man who inherits an affected gene on his X chromosome is more likely to have color vision deficiency, while a woman would generally need affected genes on both X chromosomes to have the same inherited condition.

The National Eye Institute reports that about 1 in 12 men has some form of color vision deficiency, while the condition is far less common in women. This is a genetic difference rather than something caused by lifestyle or aging.

The National Eye Institute explains why inherited red-green color vision deficiency is much more common in men.

Keratoconus Appears Slightly More Common in Men

Keratoconus is a condition in which the normally rounded cornea becomes thinner and gradually bulges forward into a cone-like shape.

This can cause:

• Increasing astigmatism
• Distorted vision
• Glare
• Halos
• Frequent prescription changes
• Reduced vision that glasses may not fully correct

A recent global systematic review and meta-analysis found that males had slightly higher odds of keratoconus than females. The difference is relatively small compared with something like color vision deficiency. Family history, eye rubbing, allergies, genetics, and geographic background are also important factors.

Want to understand color vision more deeply? Our guide to advanced color vision testing explains how detailed testing can go beyond a basic red-green screening.



Some Retinal Detachments Are More Common in Men

Retinal detachment occurs when the retina separates from the tissue supporting it. It is an eye emergency because permanent vision loss can occur without prompt treatment.

Research has repeatedly found higher rates of some types of retinal detachment among men. A large U.S. analysis covering 2015 through 2024 found a higher prevalence of myopia-related retinal detachment in males than females.

Male sex has also been associated with a higher risk of retinal detachment following cataract surgery. A 2024 systematic review involving more than 5 million patients found significantly higher odds among men.

Researchers do not attribute this difference to one simple cause. Eye anatomy, patterns of myopia, trauma, and other biological factors may all contribute.

Lifestyle Can Change the Picture

Biology is only part of the story. Men and women may also have different patterns of occupational and recreational exposure.

For example, jobs involving these elements can increase the risk of eye injury when proper eye protection is not used, including:

• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Machinery
• Metal work
• Power tools
• Chemicals
• Flying debris

Historically, men have been overrepresented in many occupations with higher rates of traumatic eye injury. That can raise the risk of vision problems for reasons that have little to do with the biology of the eye.

Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, sun exposure, medication use, contact lens habits, and access to medical care can also change an individual's risk considerably.

Access to Eye Care Matters, Too

One of the most important reasons women carry more vision loss globally has nothing to do with anatomy. In many parts of the world, women have less access to glasses, cataract surgery, transportation, money, and health services.

The World Health Organization reported in 2025 that women were consistently less likely than men to receive needed correction for refractive errors in many settings. That means some of the difference in global vision loss is preventable. A person may have a correctable vision problem, but without access to glasses, surgery, or medical treatment, that problem can become disabling.

Women and Men Need Individualized Eye Care

Knowing that certain conditions are statistically more common in one sex can be useful, but averages cannot predict what will happen to one person.

Your own eye-health risk depends on a much broader picture:

• Your age
• Family history
• Prescription
• Medical conditions
• Medications
• Smoking history
• UV exposure
• Contact lens wear
• Previous injuries
• Occupation
• Eye anatomy
• Previous eye surgery

A man with a strong family history of glaucoma, for example, may have a far greater glaucoma risk than a woman with no known risk factors. Likewise, a younger woman with autoimmune disease, hormonal changes, and contact lens wear may have a much higher risk of dry eye than the population average.

The Takeaway

So, are vision problems more common in women or men? Overall vision loss is somewhat more common in women, both in current U.S. estimates and globally. Longer life expectancy, age-related eye disease, dry eye, biological differences, and disparities in access to care all contribute.

But men have higher rates of certain problems, including inherited color vision deficiency, keratoconus, and some types of retinal detachment. There is no single women's eye or men's eye risk profile. Statistics can tell us where patterns exist. A comprehensive eye examination tells us what is happening with your eyes.

At Urban Optiks Optometry, comprehensive eye care looks beyond whether you can read the smallest line on an eye chart. Your prescription, eye health, family history, lifestyle, medications, and individual risk factors all help determine what deserves attention now—and what should be monitored over time.