24 April 2026
The number of people living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in England will increase by 28% in the next decade, the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s Sight Loss Data Tool has predicted.
The number of cases of glaucoma in England will also increase by 16% by 2036, the charity believes.
There are just over 603,000 people living with AMD in England in 2026, the RNIB said, with the number expected to increase to 774,000 over the next decade.
There are currently more than 930,000 people living with glaucoma. This number is expected to increase to over one million by 2036.
The Sight Loss Data Tool contains the UK’s largest collection of eye health and sight loss data.
The tool can help to predict the number of people living with sight loss and with specific sight conditions, as well as estimating health and social care requirements and risk factors for increased risk of eye health problems via local area data.
The Sight Loss Data Tool is available for use by public and professionals working within eye health and related sectors. It includes data from all four nations of the UK.
John Slade, the RNIB’s head of strategic research, emphasised that the tool, which has recently undergone a refresh to make it more accessible, “will bring improved access to a whole range of data across all four devolved nations in the UK.”
The tool can provide detailed insight into the numbers of people living with sight loss, what eye conditions they are living with, and what risk factors for sight loss diagnosis may be present in a local area, Slade said.
The RNIB is encouraging the public to attend regular eye examinations, and to flag any changes to their vision with their optometrist.
Slade added: “We recommend that everyone has an eye test at least every two years, and more frequently if you are advised to do so by your optometrist because you are in a higher risk group.”
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