The proportion of First Nations people with vision impairment and blindness: Measure 1.1.1
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Latest data
Based on the latest available National Eye Health Survey (NEHS) data, in 2016, the sampling weighted prevalence of bilateral vision impairment for First Nations people aged 40 and over was 1 in 10 (10.4%) and the prevalence of bilateral blindness was 1 in 330 (0.3%) (Figure 1).
After standardising for age and sex, the estimated prevalence of bilateral vision loss (vision impairment and blindness combined) for First Nations people was 2.8 times the rate for non-Indigenous Australians (17.7%, confidence interval (CI) 14.5–21.0; 6.4%, CI 5.2–7.6, respectively). Based on weighted data, it was estimated that up to 15,000 First Nations people aged 40 and over suffer from vision impairment and blindness combined (Foreman et al. 2017).
Figure 1: Prevalence of blindness, visions impairment and vision loss, 2016
Note: Data are weighted to account for sampling rate in each remoteness stratum (Foreman et al. 2017).
Source: National Eye Health Survey 2016
Explore more aspects of the data in the following section. See also Figure 2.
By age and sex
The prevalence of vision loss for both First Nations and non-Indigenous survey participants in 2016 rose markedly with age. For First Nations people, the prevalence of vision loss was 1 in 14 (7.2%) among those aged 40–49, compared with more than 1 in 2 (56%) among those aged 80–89. First Nations’ rates were higher than non-Indigenous rates for all age groups (non-Indigenous Australians aged 40–49 were not sampled) (Figure 2 – population groups).
There was no significant difference between First Nations males and females in the rates of vision loss (Figure 2 – population groups).
By remoteness*
In 2016, the age-standardised prevalence of vision loss for First Nations people in Outer regional and Very remote areas was significantly higher than for non‑Indigenous Australians (Figure 2 – remoteness).
*Information about remoteness is summarised in Defining remoteness.
Figure 2: Prevalence of visions loss: interactive data
The following extended descriptions are provided to assist people using screen readers. To download the data tables, visit Data.
Indigenous status by population group type: Population group, Point estimate (percent), 95% confidence interval
First Nations people by age
40–49, 7.2, 5.7 to 9
50–59, 8, 5.7 to 11.2
60–69, 17.8, 13.1 to 23.6
70–79, 15.5, 9.5 to 24.3
80–89, 56, 29.7 to 79.3
Non-Indigenous people by age
50–59, 5, 3.6 to 7
60–69, 4, 2.8 to 5.7
70–79, 8.2, 5.7 to 11.7
80–89, 12.2, 7.8 to 18.4
90+, 37.3, 19.2 to 59.8
First Nations people by sex
Male, 9, 6.8 to 11.8
Female, 12.8, 10.5 to 15.4
Non-Indigenous people by sex
Male, 6.9, 5.3 to 7.9
Female, 6.2, 4.5 to 8.4
Indigenous status: Remoteness, Point estimate (percent), 95% confidence interval
First Nations people
Major cities, 8.3, 5.7 to 12.1
Inner regional, 8, 4.6 to 13.6
Outer regional, 16.6, 13.5 to 20.2
Remote, 7.4, 2.4 to 21
Very remote, 15.7, 13.9 to 17.7
Non-Indigenous people
Major cities, 6.7, 5.1 to 8.8
Inner regional, 5.2, 3.6 to 7.3
Outer regional, 8.1, 5.2 to 12.3
Remote, 6, 3 to 11.8
Very remote, 7.7, 4.8 to 12.2
The Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Structure- external site opens in new window (ABS 2021) defines remoteness areas in 5 classes of relative remoteness:
- Major cities
- Inner regional
- Outer regional
- Remote
- Very remote.
These remoteness areas are centred on the Accessibility/ Remoteness Index of Australia, which is based on the road distances people have to travel for services (ABS 2021).
ABS (2021) Remoteness structure, ABS website, accessed 10 January 2022.
Foreman J, Xie J, Keel S, van Wijngaarden P, Sandhu SS, Ang GS, Gaskin JF, Crowston J, Bourne R, Taylor HR and Dirani M (2017) ‘The prevalence and causes of vision loss in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians’, Ophthalmology, 124(12):1743–1752.