Roughly one in three children and adolescents worldwide is now nearsighted: the pooled prevalence of myopia in young people rose from 24.32% in 1990 to 35.81% in 2023, and is projected to reach 39.80% by 2050 (British Journal of Ophthalmology, global meta-analysis 2025). In East Asia the curve is far steeper: 96.5% of 19-year-old men examined in Seoul were myopic, and myopia among Chinese children aged 7 to 12 rose 3.3-fold between 1985 and 2019. The good news is that the most effective preventive tool is also the cheapest: one extra 40-minute outdoor class per school day cut new cases by 9.1 percentage points in a three-year trial. The indoor, screen-heavy childhood behind these numbers is mapped in our children’s screen time statistics. We aggregated data from the British Journal of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology, JAMA, JAMA Ophthalmology, the Chinese National Survey on Students’ Constitution and Health, the National Eye Institute, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the World Health Organization, the US Food and Drug Administration and the other primary sources listed in the methodology.
TL;DR
- 35.81% of children and adolescents worldwide were myopic in 2023, up from 24.32% in 1990 (British Journal of Ophthalmology, meta-analysis 2025).
- Childhood myopia is projected at 39.80% in 2050, more than 740 million cases (British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2025).
- 4,758 million people of all ages (49.8%) are projected to be myopic by 2050, and 938 million highly myopic (Ophthalmology, global meta-analysis 2016).
- Myopia among Chinese children aged 7-12 rose from 12.69% in 1985 to 41.33% in 2019 (Scientific Reports 2025, CNSSCH data).
- 96.5% of 19-year-old male conscripts in Seoul were myopic and 21.61% highly myopic (Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2012).
- US myopia prevalence at ages 12-54 rose from 25.0% in 1971-72 to 41.6% in 1999-2004 (Archives of Ophthalmology 2009, NHANES).
- An extra 40 minutes outdoors per school day cut 3-year myopia incidence to 30.4% vs 39.5% (JAMA 2015, Guangzhou trial).
- Outdoor time lowered the risk of incident myopia by about half in clinical trials (risk ratio 0.536) (Acta Ophthalmologica meta-analysis 2017).
- Myopia among 6-year-olds in Feicheng, China hit 21.5% in 2020 vs a prior high of 5.7% after COVID-19 home confinement (JAMA Ophthalmology 2021).
- 0.05% atropine cut 1-year progression to -0.27 D vs -0.81 D on placebo (Ophthalmology 2019, LAMP study).
- DIMS spectacle lenses slowed myopia progression by 52% over two years (British Journal of Ophthalmology 2020).
- Uncorrected myopia cost an estimated US$244 billion in lost global productivity in 2015 (Ophthalmology 2019).
1. Global Prevalence and Projections: From One in Four to Two in Five
The headline trend is no longer debated: myopia is spreading through childhood faster than population growth. A 2025 meta-analysis covering 276 studies and 5,410,945 participants in 50 countries found the pooled prevalence of myopia in children and adolescents rose from 24.32% in 1990 to 35.81% in 2023, with projections of 36.59% in 2040 and 39.80% in 2050 (British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2025). The study says this will mean more than 740 million young people with myopia by 2050. Risk concentrates by age and schooling: prevalence was 47.00% among adolescents and 45.71% among high school students, versus 35.22% for residents of East Asia, 33.57% for girls and 28.55% for urban residents.
The all-ages picture is starker because today’s myopic children become tomorrow’s highly myopic adults. A 2016 meta-analysis of 145 studies and 2.1 million participants estimated 1,406 million people with myopia in 2000 (22.9% of the world) and projected 4,758 million (49.8%) by 2050, with high myopia rising from 163 million (2.7%) to 938 million (9.8%) (Ophthalmology, 2016). That is the source of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s public warning that by 2050 nearly half the people in the world will have nearsightedness (AAO, Nearsightedness: What Is Myopia?, 2026).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Child and adolescent myopia, 1990 vs 2023 | 24.32% vs 35.81% | British Journal of Ophthalmology, meta-analysis 2025 |
| Projected child and adolescent myopia | 36.59% (2040), 39.80% (2050) | British Journal of Ophthalmology, meta-analysis 2025 |
| Projected young people with myopia, 2050 | More than 740 million | British Journal of Ophthalmology, meta-analysis 2025 |
| Prevalence by group | Adolescents 47.00%, high school students 45.71%, East Asia 35.22% | British Journal of Ophthalmology, meta-analysis 2025 |
| People with myopia, all ages, 2000 | 1,406 million (22.9%) | Ophthalmology, global meta-analysis 2016 |
| Projected people with myopia, 2050 | 4,758 million (49.8%) | Ophthalmology, global meta-analysis 2016 |
| High myopia, 2000 vs 2050 projection | 163 million (2.7%) vs 938 million (9.8%) | Ophthalmology, global meta-analysis 2016 |
| Productivity loss from uncorrected myopia, 2015 | US$244 billion (95% CI 49-697 billion) | Ophthalmology, lost productivity model 2019 |
Context note: the economic estimate comes from a modeling study of vision impairment from uncorrected myopia and myopic macular degeneration, which added US$6 billion for the latter (Ophthalmology, 2019). The WHO counts 88.4 million people with distance vision impairment from unaddressed refractive error and 2.2 billion people with some form of vision impairment (WHO, Blindness and vision impairment fact sheet, February 2026).
2. East Asia and China: Where Myopia Became the Norm
East Asia shows what happens when intense schooling and indoor childhoods combine. Myopia now affects 80-90% of school-leavers in East Asia, and high myopia 10-20% of those completing secondary school (The Lancet, Myopia, 2012). Seoul’s conscript data are the clearest single snapshot: of 23,616 19-year-old men examined with cycloplegia in 2010, 96.5% were myopic and 21.61% highly myopic, and university students had 1.69 times the odds of myopia of those without a high school diploma (Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 2012). Most recent available data for Seoul: 2010.
China’s national student survey tracks the epidemic over decades. Myopia among children aged 7 to 12 rose 3.3-fold, from 12.69% in 1985 to 41.33% in 2019, with the increase peaking in 2010 and then slowing; the authors project 40.39% in 2025 and 33.46% by 2030 (Scientific Reports, 2025). Across ages 7 to 18, the detection rate among Han students climbed from 55.5% in 2010 to 57.1% in 2014 and 60.1% in 2019, ranging from 49.6% in Guizhou to 71.3% in Zhejiang, and the age of fastest growth dropped from 12 to 7 years (Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2023). The shift to younger onset matters most: the earlier myopia starts, the more years it has to progress.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Myopia in 19-year-old men, Seoul (2010) | 96.5%; high myopia 21.61% | Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 2012 |
| School-leavers with myopia, East Asia | 80-90%; high myopia 10-20% | The Lancet, Myopia review 2012 |
| Chinese children aged 7-12, 1985 vs 2019 | 12.69% vs 41.33% (3.3-fold) | Scientific Reports 2025, CNSSCH data |
| Han children aged 6-12, 2019 | 37.54% (urban 40.39%, rural 34.62%) | Scientific Reports 2025 |
| Projected prevalence, Chinese children aged 7-12 | 40.39% (2025), 33.46% (2030) | Scientific Reports 2025 |
| Han students aged 7-18, detection rate | 55.5% (2010), 57.1% (2014), 60.1% (2019) | Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2023 |
| Provincial range, 2019 | Guizhou 49.6% to Zhejiang 71.3% | Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2023 |
| Myopia odds with two highly myopic parents | 3.08 times; 55.2% of 40,864 children myopic | Chinese Medical Journal, national survey 2025 |
Context note: in China’s 2025 national survey of children aged 6 to 17, one myopic parent raised the odds of myopia 1.75 times and two myopic parents 2.27 times, but children who followed two or more healthy lifestyle habits had lower risk (Chinese Medical Journal, 2025). Rural rates rose faster than urban rates between 2014 and 2019, so the old city-versus-countryside gap is closing.
3. The United States, Europe and Latin America: A Slower but Real Rise
Western rates trail East Asia but have climbed steadily. US myopia prevalence among people aged 12 to 54 rose from 25.0% in 1971-72 to 41.6% in 1999-2004, with Black Americans going from 13.0% to 33.5% and white Americans from 26.3% to 43.0% (Archives of Ophthalmology, 2009). High myopia of -7.9 D or worse rose from 0.2% to 1.6%. Most recent available national data: NHANES 1999-2004, so the US has no comparable national refraction estimate from the last two decades.
Among US schoolchildren, the multi-ethnic CLEERE study of 2,523 children in grades 1 to 8 found 9.2% myopic overall and 18.5% among Asian American children (Archives of Ophthalmology, 2003). Europe tells the same generational story in adults: age-standardized myopia was 30.6%, rising to 47.2% among 25 to 29 year-olds, an estimated 227.2 million Europeans (European Journal of Epidemiology, 2015). Prevalence rose from 17.8% in those born 1910-1939 to 23.5% in those born 1940-1979, and reached 36.6% among people with higher education (Ophthalmology, 2015). Latin America remains low: 8.61% of 165,721 children and adolescents in a 2024 meta-analysis (Cureus, 2024).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US myopia, ages 12-54, 1971-72 vs 1999-2004 | 25.0% vs 41.6% | Archives of Ophthalmology 2009, NHANES |
| US Black and white adults, 1971-72 vs 1999-2004 | Black 13.0% to 33.5%; white 26.3% to 43.0% | Archives of Ophthalmology 2009, NHANES |
| US high myopia (-7.9 D or worse) | 0.2% to 1.6% | Archives of Ophthalmology 2009, NHANES |
| US schoolchildren, grades 1-8 (CLEERE) | 9.2% myopic; Asian American 18.5% | Archives of Ophthalmology, 2003 |
| European adults, age-standardized | 30.6%; 47.2% at ages 25-29 | European Journal of Epidemiology 2015, E3 Consortium |
| Europeans with myopia | 227.2 million | European Journal of Epidemiology 2015, E3 Consortium |
| European myopia by education | Primary 25.4%, secondary 29.1%, higher 36.6% | Ophthalmology 2015, E3 Consortium |
| Latin American children and adolescents | 8.61% (range 0.80-47.36%) | Cureus 2024, meta-analysis |
Context note: the National Eye Institute says nearsightedness usually starts between ages 6 and 14 and gets worse until the early twenties (NEI, Nearsightedness (Myopia), updated December 2024); the AAO says it is often discovered between ages 8 and 12. Definitions vary across studies (-0.50 D vs -0.75 D thresholds, cycloplegic vs non-cycloplegic refraction), so cross-country comparisons are approximate.
4. Outdoor Time: The Best-Tested Prevention Lever
Outdoor time is the rare public health intervention that is free, safe and backed by randomized evidence. In a cluster randomized trial of 1,903 first-graders in 12 Guangzhou schools, adding one 40-minute outdoor class per school day cut the 3-year cumulative incidence of myopia to 30.4%, versus 39.5% in control schools (JAMA, 2015). The intervention group also had less refractive shift (-1.42 D vs -1.59 D), though axial length differences were not significant.
Taiwan’s Recess Outside Classroom program reached similar conclusions with an even simpler policy: sending children outside during recess. New myopia onset after one year was 8.41% in the intervention school versus 17.65% in the control school (Ophthalmology, 2013). A 2025 reanalysis found the program cut the risk of onset by 61% and reduced incidence among premyopic children to 19.6% versus 37.8% (Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology, 2025). The limit is equally clear: a meta-analysis found outdoor time prevents onset but did not slow progression in eyes that were already myopic (Acta Ophthalmologica, 2017). Prevention has to start before the first prescription.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 3-year myopia incidence, extra 40 min outdoors vs control | 30.4% vs 39.5% (difference -9.1 points) | JAMA 2015, Guangzhou cluster RCT |
| 3-year refractive change, intervention vs control | -1.42 D vs -1.59 D | JAMA 2015, Guangzhou cluster RCT |
| 1-year new myopia, outdoor recess vs control | 8.41% vs 17.65% | Ophthalmology 2013, Taiwan ROC study |
| Annual myopic shift, outdoor recess vs control | -0.25 D vs -0.38 D | Ophthalmology 2013, Taiwan ROC study |
| Reduction in onset risk from outdoor recess | 61% (OR 0.39) | Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology, 2025 |
| Incidence in premyopic children, recess vs control | 19.6% vs 37.8% | Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology, 2025 |
| Risk ratio for incident myopia with outdoor time | 0.536 (clinical trials), 0.574 (cohorts) | Acta Ophthalmologica, meta-analysis 2017 |
| Reduced myopic shift with outdoor intervention | -0.30 D over 3 years | Acta Ophthalmologica, meta-analysis 2017 |
Context note: premyopia (a refraction just short of myopia) raised the risk of onset 14 times compared with hyperopic status in the Taiwan reanalysis, which is why screening before school age matters. China turned this evidence into policy in 2018 with the Comprehensive Plan to Prevent Nearsightedness among Children and Teenagers, led by the Ministry of Education; a 2023 review concluded that more time outdoors and less near work lower incident myopia, while all recommended interventions have limited effect on progression (British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2023).
5. Lockdowns, Screens and Near Work: The Natural Experiment
COVID-19 school closures removed outdoor time for millions of children at once, and the eyes of the youngest responded first. In school photoscreening of 123,535 children in Feicheng, China, myopia prevalence among 6-year-olds reached 21.5% in 2020, against a 2015-2019 high of 5.7% (JAMA Ophthalmology, 2021). Rates also jumped at age 7 (26.2% vs 16.2%) and age 8 (37.2% vs 27.7%), while children aged 9 to 13 showed minimal change, consistent with a critical early window.
The pooled evidence points the same way. A 2024 meta-analysis found faster progression during home confinement than before the pandemic, -0.83 D in refraction and 0.36 mm in axial length (Journal of Optometry, 2024). In a clinic series of new-onset cases, the annualized myopic shift tripled from -0.37 D before the pandemic to -1.12 D during confinement (Journal of AAPOS, 2022). Long daily screen sessions also carry symptoms beyond refraction, covered in our digital eye strain statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Children screened, Feicheng 2015-2020 | 123,535 aged 6-13 | JAMA Ophthalmology, 2021 |
| Myopia at age 6, 2020 vs prior high | 21.5% vs 5.7% | JAMA Ophthalmology, 2021 |
| Myopia at ages 7 and 8, 2020 vs prior high | 26.2% vs 16.2%; 37.2% vs 27.7% | JAMA Ophthalmology, 2021 |
| Myopic shift in 2020, ages 6-8 | About -0.3 D | JAMA Ophthalmology, 2021 |
| Extra progression during confinement (pooled) | -0.83 D refraction; 0.36 mm axial length | Journal of Optometry, meta-analysis 2024 |
| Annualized shift at onset, before vs during pandemic | -0.37 D vs -1.12 D | Journal of AAPOS, 2022 |
| Myopia in a Chinese student cohort, 2019 to late 2020 | 47.7%, 55.6%, 57.2% | Journal of Public Health 2023, CNSSCH follow-up |
| Odds of myopia with screen time of 4 hours or more a day | 2.717 | Journal of Public Health 2023, CNSSCH follow-up |
Context note: the Feicheng study used non-cycloplegic photorefraction, which can overstate myopia in young children, and its authors flag this limitation. The CNSSCH follow-up of 1,496 students also linked poor sleep quality (OR 4.512) and inadequate study lighting (OR 1.779) to myopia (Journal of Public Health, 2023). For the broader screen-use backdrop, see our screen time and digital wellbeing statistics.
6. Myopia Control Treatments: Drops, Lenses and Light
Correcting blurry vision is no longer the whole job; the goal now is to slow eye elongation. In Hong Kong’s LAMP trial of 438 children, 1-year progression was -0.27 D with 0.05% atropine, -0.46 D with 0.025% and -0.59 D with 0.01%, versus -0.81 D with placebo (Ophthalmology, 2019). Over five years, children kept on 0.05% progressed -1.34 D in total, and 87.9% of those who stopped needed to restart treatment (Ophthalmology, LAMP Phase 4, 2024). The AAO tells parents low-dose atropine can stop or slow progression in 7 out of 10 children.
Dose and population matter. A US randomized trial of 187 children aged 5 to 12 found 0.01% atropine no better than placebo after 24 months: -0.82 D versus -0.80 D (JAMA Ophthalmology, 2023). Optical options have stronger US regulatory backing: the FDA approved the MiSight 1 Day contact lens on November 15, 2019 for children aged 8 to 12 at treatment start (FDA PMA P180035), after a 3-year trial showed 59% less refractive progression and 52% less axial growth (Optometry and Vision Science, 2019). Spectacle lenses followed: DIMS lenses slowed progression by 52% (British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2020), and Essilor Stellest received FDA authorization on September 25, 2025, after which US search interest in myopia-control lenses rose 98% (Cureus, 2026). The lens market overlap with eyewear tech is tracked in our smart glasses statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year progression: 0.05% / 0.025% / 0.01% atropine / placebo | -0.27 / -0.46 / -0.59 / -0.81 D | Ophthalmology 2019, LAMP study |
| 5-year progression, continued 0.05% atropine | -1.34 D; 87.9% of stoppers needed re-treatment | Ophthalmology 2024, LAMP Phase 4 |
| 0.01% atropine vs placebo, US children, 24 months | -0.82 D vs -0.80 D (no difference) | JAMA Ophthalmology, 2023 |
| MiSight lens, 3-year effect vs control lens | 59% less refractive change, 52% less axial growth | Optometry and Vision Science, 2019 |
| DIMS spectacle lenses vs single vision, 2 years | 52% slower progression, 62% less axial elongation | British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2020 |
| Children with no progression over 2 years, DIMS vs single vision | 21.5% vs 7.4% | British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2020 |
| Repeated low-level red light vs spectacles, 12 months | 0.13 mm vs 0.38 mm axial elongation | Ophthalmology, multicenter RCT 2022 |
| Orthokeratology vs spectacles, 2 years | 43% slower axial elongation | Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2012, ROMIO |
Context note: the red-light trial enrolled 264 children aged 8 to 13 and reported no severe adverse events (Ophthalmology, 2022); the orthokeratology figure comes from the 2-year ROMIO trial of children aged 6 to 10 (IOVS, 2012). Treatment effects are from trials with different durations, ages and comparators, so the percentages should not be ranked against each other.
Summary: Pediatric Myopia by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Child and adolescent myopia, 2023 | 35.81% (24.32% in 1990) | British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2025 |
| Projected child and adolescent myopia, 2050 | 39.80%, more than 740 million | British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2025 |
| Adolescent myopia prevalence | 47.00% | British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2025 |
| Projected people with myopia, all ages, 2050 | 4,758 million (49.8%) | Ophthalmology, 2016 |
| Projected high myopia, 2050 | 938 million (9.8%) | Ophthalmology, 2016 |
| Lost productivity from uncorrected myopia, 2015 | US$244 billion | Ophthalmology, 2019 |
| Myopia in 19-year-old men, Seoul | 96.5% | IOVS, 2012 |
| School-leavers with myopia, East Asia | 80-90% | The Lancet, 2012 |
| Chinese children aged 7-12, 1985 vs 2019 | 12.69% vs 41.33% | Scientific Reports, 2025 |
| Han students aged 7-18, 2019 | 60.1% | Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2023 |
| US myopia, 1971-72 vs 1999-2004 | 25.0% vs 41.6% | Archives of Ophthalmology, 2009 |
| European adults aged 25-29 | 47.2% | European Journal of Epidemiology, 2015 |
| 3-year incidence with extra outdoor class vs control | 30.4% vs 39.5% | JAMA, 2015 |
| 1-year onset with outdoor recess vs control | 8.41% vs 17.65% | Ophthalmology, 2013 |
| Risk ratio for incident myopia with outdoor time (trials) | 0.536 | Acta Ophthalmologica, 2017 |
| Myopia at age 6 after home confinement, 2020 | 21.5% (prior high 5.7%) | JAMA Ophthalmology, 2021 |
| 1-year progression, 0.05% atropine vs placebo | -0.27 D vs -0.81 D | Ophthalmology, 2019 |
| DIMS lens effect on progression | 52% slower | British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2020 |
| MiSight FDA approval | November 15, 2019 | FDA PMA P180035 |
| Stellest FDA authorization | September 25, 2025 | Cureus, 2026 |
Methodology and Sources
Every figure above was read during research for this article in a peer-reviewed abstract (retrieved through the Europe PMC database), a government database entry or an official health organization page. We linked each study by its DOI. Statistics circulating on blogs without a traceable study were excluded.
- British Journal of Ophthalmology: Global prevalence, trend and projection of myopia in children and adolescents from 1990 to 2050 (2025); DIMS spectacle lenses 2-year RCT (2020); Interventions recommended for myopia prevention in China (2023)
- Ophthalmology: Global prevalence of myopia and high myopia, 2000 through 2050 (2016); Potential lost productivity from myopia (2019); Outdoor activity during class recess (2013); LAMP study (2019); LAMP Phase 4 five-year report (2024); Repeated low-level red-light therapy RCT (2022); Increasing prevalence of myopia in Europe (2015)
- JAMA: Effect of time spent outdoors at school, Guangzhou (2015)
- JAMA Ophthalmology: Progression of myopia after COVID-19 home confinement (2021); Low-dose 0.01% atropine vs placebo in US children (2023)
- Archives of Ophthalmology: US myopia 1971-1972 vs 1999-2004 (2009); Refractive error and ethnicity in children, CLEERE (2003)
- Scientific Reports: Trends and predictions of myopia among Chinese children aged 7-12 (2025); Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine: Myopia detection rate among Han students, 2010-2019 (2023); Chinese Medical Journal: Parental myopia national survey (2025); Journal of Public Health: CNSSCH follow-up before and during COVID-19 (2023)
- IOVS: Myopia in 19-year-old conscripts in Seoul (2012); ROMIO orthokeratology trial (2012); The Lancet: Myopia (2012)
- European Journal of Epidemiology: Prevalence of refractive error in Europe, E3 Consortium (2015); Cureus: Myopia in Latin American children (2024) and Interest after FDA authorization of Essilor Stellest (2026)
- Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology: Outdoor recess in premyopic children (2025); Acta Ophthalmologica: Outdoor time meta-analysis (2017); Journal of Optometry: Home confinement meta-analysis (2024); Journal of AAPOS: Rapid progression at onset during confinement (2022); Optometry and Vision Science: MiSight 3-year RCT (2019)
- US Food and Drug Administration: PMA P180035, MiSight 1 Day; National Eye Institute: Nearsightedness (Myopia); American Academy of Ophthalmology: Nearsightedness: What Is Myopia?; World Health Organization: Blindness and vision impairment fact sheet (February 2026)
- Data watch: Prevalence studies use different myopia thresholds (-0.50 D in the 2016 and 2025 meta-analyses and the Guangzhou trial, -0.75 D in the European E3 data) and different methods (cycloplegic vs non-cycloplegic refraction), so country figures are not directly comparable. Several key sources are older than three years and are flagged as most recent available data: US national refraction data (NHANES 1999-2004), Seoul conscripts (2010), CLEERE (2003) and the 2016 global projection. China’s 7-12 projection of 33.46% by 2030 conflicts with the steady rise in the 7-18 detection rate through 2019; both rely on CNSSCH waves that end in 2019. The LAMP results (Hong Kong) and the US 0.01% atropine trial point in different directions for the lowest dose, and the red-light and DIMS trials were run in Chinese children. Stellest’s FDA date comes from a peer-reviewed Cureus analysis because the FDA and EssilorLuxottica pages could not be read directly. PubMed, Europe PMC article pages and the WHO World Report on Vision PDF blocked automated access (403 or cookie walls), so abstracts were read through the Europe PMC REST API and the WHO figures come from its February 2026 fact sheet. AAO statements (nearly half the world by 2050, atropine helping 7 out of 10 children) are public guidance, not new data.
Last updated: October 3, 2026. We update this roundup quarterly, and the next refresh is expected when results from the next Chinese National Survey on Students’ Constitution and Health wave and longer-term follow-up of US Stellest and atropine trials are published.