Myopia Distribution in India
The available evidence does not provide specific percentages for low, moderate, and high myopia categories among the myopic Indian population, but the data show overall myopia prevalence varies significantly by region and age group in India.
Overall Myopia Prevalence in India
The prevalence of myopia in India ranges from 4% to 37% depending on the population studied, with urban populations showing substantially higher rates than rural populations. 1
- Rural India: 13% prevalence in persons aged 30 years and older 1
- Urban India (Andhra Pradesh): 37% prevalence in the general population 1
- Urban India (Hyderabad): 19.39% age-gender-adjusted prevalence in adults over 15 years 2
- Children aged 7-15 years: 4% to 7% prevalence across different Indian regions 1
- Schoolchildren aged 5-15 years: Meta-analysis shows 7.5% prevalence over the past four decades 1
High Myopia Prevalence
High myopia (≤ -5.0 D) affects approximately 4.5% of the adult Indian population aged 40 years and older. 3
This represents roughly 13% of all myopic individuals in this age group (4.5% high myopia out of 34.6% total myopia prevalence). 3
Age-Related Patterns
- Children ≤15 years: 4.44% myopia prevalence, with higher rates (odds ratio 2.75) in those aged 10-15 years 2
- Adults >15 years: 19.39% prevalence in urban populations 2
- Adults ≥40 years: 34.6% prevalence, with rates increasing significantly with age 3
The prevalence of myopia, high myopia, and astigmatism all increase significantly with advancing age in the Indian adult population. 3
Risk Factors and Associations
Nuclear cataract is the strongest predictor of myopia in Indian adults, with those having nuclear opacity grade ≥3.5 showing 9-fold increased odds of myopia. 2
- Higher education (class 11 or above) increases myopia risk by 80% 2
- The severity of lens nuclear opacity shows positive association with myopia 3
- No significant gender difference exists for myopia prevalence, though women have higher hyperopia rates 3
Clinical Implications
The myopia prevalence in adult Indians (34.6%) is substantially higher than in similarly aged white populations, indicating a significant public health burden. 3 When extrapolated to India's urban population of 255 million, an estimated 30 million adults over 15 years would have myopia. 2
Important Caveats
- Measurement methodology significantly affects prevalence estimates—cycloplegic refraction yields lower myopia rates than non-cycloplegic methods 1
- Urban-rural disparities are substantial, with urban populations showing 2-3 times higher myopia prevalence 1, 2
- The lack of standardized myopia severity classification across Indian studies limits precise categorization into low, moderate, and high myopia subgroups