Eye Testing Equipment Market

Market Overview

The global eye testing equipment market size was valued at USD 2.92 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 5.39 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 7.07% during the forecast period (2023–2031). 

The global eye testing equipment market is one of the fastest-growing segments in the eye care industry. This surge in growth is attributed to the rising prevalence/incidence of cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and the rising patient population. Eye testing equipment consists of devices that assist eye specialists in diagnosing eye diseases. These instruments are used by ophthalmologists and optometrists for routine eye examinations and for identifying specific eye diseases.

These instruments are painless, efficient, effective, and precise for determining eye health status. Examples of common eye testing apparatus are autorefractors, focimeters, slit lamps, biometers, optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanners, and fundus cameras. They are used to examine eye health and visualize microscopic structures within the eye. They are also used for general examinations and diagnosing glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye-related conditions. Consequently, eye testing equipment is widely utilized in hospitals, diagnostic clinics, and academic institutions.

Market Dynamics

Global Eye Testing Equipment Market Drivers

Rising Government Programs and Eye Care Delivery Initiatives 

Globally, over two billion individuals reside with varying degrees of visual impairment or blindness, with 1.1 billion experiencing vision loss due to inadequate availability of eye care services. Several governments in recent years have taken initiatives to reduce these diseases' burden, fueling the demand for eye equipment. The 74th World Health Assembly in 2021 took initiatives to fully integrate eye care services under the national health services.

Government services, the private sector, intergovernmental organizations, civil societies, international organizations, and other relevant entities took initiatives to convert the eye care system. According to the World Health Assembly, effective coverage for cataract surgery and refractive errors will be achieved by 2030. Out of the total, 40% of the coverage will address refractive error, while 30% will be dedicated to cataract surgery. This is expected to increase market opportunities as 800 million people show positive signs of myopia, hypermetropia, and presbyopia.

Growing Awareness and Favorable Patient Pool 

Eye disorders are a major burden across the globe. Increasing stress adoption of digital screens and the surging prevalence of chronic diseases are major factors responsible for increasing eye disorders. The increasing prevalence of those diseases drives the high demand for eye examinations. The undiagnosed population of 1.1 billion people is anticipated to drive the constant need for eye care and examination. Eye disorders such as glaucoma, corneal opacities, cataracts, and others drive the demand for eye tests.

In addition, optometrists suggest that everyone over 16 should undergo eye tests every 2 to 3 years. Individuals who have a pre-existing ocular condition should receive an annual eye examination. The American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests that adults should undergo a complete eye checkup by age 40. This is when early indicators of sickness or abnormalities in vision can be diagnosed with a proper eye examination. Early detection of eye disorders is critical, and early intervention can help keep the vision perfect.

Global Eye Testing Equipment Market Restraint

Lack of Standard Services in Emerging Markets

In emerging markets, such as low- and middle-income countries, low expenditure on healthcare and eye care services, increased aging population burden and its impact on eye care services, low GDP contribution, and lack of awareness among people are hampering the market growth.

Economic instability is one of the major challenges in developing countries for eye care treatment. Lower GDP contribution for healthcare services negatively impacts the market growth. Around six million people in Africa suffer from glaucoma, of which 0.5 million are already blind. The Ministry of Health in Africa's top priority is eliminating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Limited resources for eye care are hampering market growth in the region.

Global Eye Testing Equipment Market Opportunities

Technological Advances in Eye Diagnostic Equipment 

Innovations in eye diagnostic equipment are consistently happening in the market. Every year, market players develop new devices that offer opportunities for eye examination and market growth. For instance, the eye examination rate drastically decreased due to government-mandated restrictions during the pandemic. A smartphone-based slit lamp was launched in the market to address this issue. The slit lamp is a crucial eye testing equipment in ophthalmology. Smartphone-based assisted slit lamp models brought significant change to the market.

Furthermore, in 2021, Haag Streit UK, a leading eye testing company, launched the Eyesi Slit lamp Fundoscopy module in the UK market. This new module by VRmagic can be mounted to the Eyesi Slit Lamp simulator for lifelike interaction. Similarly, in 2021, Nidek launched the retina scanning Duo 2 OCT fundus camera system. It incorporates new features enhancing clinical efficacy and screening features and being easy to handle. Also, the device can enhance the technique for denoising B-scan images.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global eye testing equipment market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant global eye testing equipment market shareholder and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 6.42% over the forecast period. North America is a developed region for healthcare services. Large adoption of advanced products in eye care services and high expenditure are driving the market growth in North America. In addition, increasing awareness and the growing geriatric population are expected to expedite the market growth during the forecast period. As per an analysis by the Population Reference Bureau, the US population over 65 is projected to double from 2018 to 2060, from 52 million to 95 million. The surging aging population is estimated to drive the demand for eye diagnoses. In 2021, approximately 3 million Americans suffered from glaucoma. It is expected to reach 6.3 million by 2050.

Furthermore, the increasing awareness about glaucoma is accelerating the demand for eye examination and fueling market growth. According to the NIH National Eye Institute, the risk of cataracts increases every ten years after age 40. Therefore, the rising prevalence of major eye diseases is accelerating the region's use and demand for eye testing and treatment services.

Europe is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.63% over the forecast period. Vision impairment is a common eye disease in Europe with increasing prevalence in Western Europe. Around 8.5 million people in Western Europe suffer from moderate to severe vision loss. Age-related macular degeneration prevalence is 3.5% in people aged 55-59 and 17.6% in 85 and above. By 2040, AMD prevalence will increase from 14.9 (2019-2020) to 21.5 million (2040), and late AMD is expected to increase from 3.9 in 2019 to 4.8 million by 2050. In 2020, there were 64 million diabetics in Europe, and nearly one-third had visual impairment. The surging prevalence of diabetes has increased the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Europe. Age-related macular degeneration is a severe condition in the older European population. The increasing prevalence of eye diseases, rising technological advances in ophthalmology and diagnosis, and a growing aging population fuel the growth of the eye testing equipment market.

The Asia-Pacific region includes major countries such as China, Japan, India, Australia, and South Korea. The region is home to 4.3 billion people. Increasing disease burden, especially eye disorders, and heightened demand for eye care services are expected to boost the market for eye testing equipment. Over 20 countries have been actively engaged in VISION 2020 since its launch in 1999. VISION 2020 is focused on accelerating eye care services in 20 countries associated with VISION 2020. In addition, the rising elderly population and increasing adoption of digital screens has increased the share of the blind population in the region to 17.9% from 1990-2015. In Asia-Pacific, China and India are densely populated with many aging populations. The increasing number of blind people is expected to impose a big challenge for eye care services.

In the Middle East and Africa, the rising incidence of ocular disorders is anticipated to drive the need for ocular assessment and therapeutic interventions. Such a situation can be a major obstacle to market growth. Adoption of better eye care services and consistently increasing demand for healthcare facilities are expected to boost the demand for eye testing equipment in the Middle East and Africa. The Middle East and Africa eye testing equipment market is expected to expand during the forecast period because of increased healthcare awareness and improved attention given to the healthcare sector. Government initiatives, external policy implementation, and foreign direct investment in the region are expected to boost the healthcare industry in the region in the coming years.

Segmental Analysis

The global eye testing equipment market is bifurcated into test equipment, applications, and end-users.

Based on test equipment, the global eye testing equipment market is segmented into autorefractor and phoropter, optical coherence tomography, fundus camera, perimetry, tonometer, biometer, slit lamp, and others. 

The autorefractor and phoropter segment is the highest contributor to the market and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.37% throughout the forecast period. Autorefractor is the most widely used eye testing tool to detect the correct focus point on top of the retina. It is a fully computer-controlled device that easily measures patients' eye refractive error. On the other hand, the phoropter is an ophthalmic instrument that plays a vital role in eye examinations. Globally, autorefractor and phoropter equipment are witnessing high demand. Uncorrected refractive error (URE) is a vital public health concern, one of the highly prevalent visual anomalies across all age groups, and the second-leading cause of treatable blindness globally.

Optical coherence tomography is a well-known non-invasive imaging technology for obtaining high-resolution cross-sectional image presentation of the retina. Rays of light are used to measure the retinal thickness without hurting the eyes. Many ophthalmologists suggest optical coherence tomography (OCT) along with sight tests during regular eye testing to obtain an accurate diagnosis. The rapid translation of OCT from optical measurement technology to standard care has further augmented the OCT equipment's ability to address diagnostic needs. This changing shift in OCT is expected to bring new opportunities for market growth.

Based on application, the global eye testing equipment market is segmented into cataract, general examination, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and others. 

The cataract segment is the largest contributor to the market and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.64% throughout the forecast period. The increasing prevalence of cataracts, rising demand for diagnosis, and growing availability of eye care services drive the demand for eye testing and eye examinations. Approximately 2.2 billion individuals experience some form of visual impairment. In addition, cataracts are recognized as a significant contributing factor to the development of visual impairment. Approximately 94 million people have cataracts across the world, according to the WHO estimation in 2020. Lower- and middle-income countries witness a high prevalence of cataracts. Slit lamps, biometers, and tonometry are the main tools utilized in cataract analysis.

The surging prevalence of eye disorders and rising demand for diagnosis drive the demand for eye examinations. In general eye examinations, several eye tests are used to ascertain eye health, function, and appearance of different parts of the eye. Visual acuity, eye muscles test, refraction test, visual field test, color, and vision are primary tests where these equipment are majorly used.

Based on end-users, the global eye testing equipment market is bifurcated into hospitals and eye clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and optometry academic institutes. 

The hospitals and eye clinics segment dominates the global market and is predicted to exhibit a CAGR of 7.32% during the forecast period. The hospitals and eye clinics segment dominates the eye testing equipment market. The surging prevalence of eye disorders such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration drives the demand for diagnosis. Comprehensive eye exam or routine eye examination, consisting of a series of tests to measure the eye's overall health, is mostly performed at private or group practice eye clinics or free-standing or large hospital-based clinics, thus propelling the segment's growth.

The increasing demand for eye care services from ambulatory services and the shift toward ambulatory services for eye care are the major factors fueling the demand for eye examination tools in ambulatory care services. Based on a study by the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Centers Research, the increasing number of cataract surgeries in ambulatory services drives the demand for eye examination before surgical intervention. Ambulatory eye care is convenient and cost-effective, thus driving the growth of the segment.

Recent Developments

• July 2023- Alkem Laboratories announced its entrance into the field of ophthalmology by introducing an extensive line of reasonably priced, high-quality eye care products.
• July 2023- PeriVision closed its first seed round successfully, revolutionizing eye diagnostics and care. PeriVision uses artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and cloud computation to revolutionize eye testing and care. Their portfolio of virtual eye exams conducted on commercial VR headsets enables physicians to optimize eye exams, assure quality control, and provide valuable insights for clinical decision-making.