Number of contact lens wearers in the UK and Ireland 1992-2014

This statistic displays the number of individuals who wear contact lenses in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 1992 to 2014. The number of wearers of contact lenses has more than doubled since 1992 when there were approximately 1.6 million contact lens wearers in the UK and ROI. As of 2014, there were 3.5 million individuals in the United Kingdom and Ireland wearing contact lenses.
The use of contact lenses in the United Kingdom has grown in popularity with 98 percent of individuals using contact lenses to correct their eyesight. Contact lenses have grown in popularity in recent years as an alternative to wearing eye glasses. In the UK, the most popular type of contact lenses worn were single vision lenses. There are a wide range of contact lenses available on the market from bi-focal, multi-focal, mono-vision, daily disposables, weekly/bi-weekly, soft lenses and even cosmetic lenses. Individuals wear contact lenses for a variety of reasons such as for work, for driving, playing sports and improving their peripheral vision.