The UK soft contact lens market is growing fast, up by more than 11 per cent in just one year, the most recent figures show.
The Association of Contact Lens Manufacturers (ACLM) says in 2022 it was worth a total of £366m. This country is the largest market in Europe, with 20 per cent of all wearers.
There are more than 3.6m people wearing contacts in the UK, at least 8.5 per cent of all adults. Daily disposables have a 77 per cent share, while silicone hydrogel accounts for nearly 93 per cent of the value of the weekly, bi-weekly and monthly market. The contact lens care market grew by 13 per cent, to £19m.
Contact lenses offer the best opportunity for business growth to eye care professionals, the ACLM says. Technological breakthroughs are making lenses available to more and more people, including older and younger wearers and those with presbyopia. Managed properly, long-term contact lens wearers are generally more loyal to their practitioner for aftercare.
Across Europe, there are 29m wearers. The figures were compiled by Euromcontact, which surveys 32 countries. RGP lenses, some care products and high street own brand products are not reported as not all manufacturers contribute to the statistics.