Countries with Notable Glaucoma Cases
Global Hotspots
As of 2020, the estimated number of individuals affected by open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma combined was approximately 79.6 million globally. Prevalence by region:
China: ~21.8 million cases
India: ~16.1 million
Europe: ~14.0 million
Africa: ~8.4 million
Latin America: ~8.0 million
Southeast Asia: ~6.0 million
The distribution of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) was heavily weighted in Asia, accounting for over 53% of global cases in 2020, which totaled around 68.6 million. Africa accounted for about 15.6%.
By Country Examples
Germany (2020): Approximately 1,042,465 diagnosed cases—highest in EU5
Japan: About 2.89 million glaucoma cases
United States (2022):
~4.2 million Americans living with glaucoma
~1.5 million with vision-impairing forms
Highest rates among Black adults (1.97%)
Ghana: Estimated 600,000 glaucoma cases, with 8.5% of people over 40 affected
East African older adults: Glaucoma prevalence reported at 11.7% in Uganda; in parts of Nigeria, glaucoma accounted for 32.4% of blindness cases
Key Takeaway
Glaucoma is found across all regions. Countries with large aging populations—China, India, and parts of Europe and North America—show the highest absolute numbers. Sub-Saharan African nations face critical prevalence and blindness burdens relative to population size.
